South Korean Researchers Transform Industrial Wood Waste into High-Efficiency Catalyst for Eco-Friendly Disinfectant Production

KIST researchers develop a 95% efficient carbon catalyst from lignin, enabling eco-friendly, on-site production of hydrogen peroxide for industrial use.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 14, 2026, 7:49 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from EurekAlert

Revolutionizing Hydrogen Peroxide Synthesis

Hydrogen peroxide serves as a critical component in sectors ranging from medical disinfection to high-tech semiconductor fabrication, with global demand reaching tens of millions of tons annually. Despite its necessity, current production methods rely on energy-intensive, large-scale facilities that complicate transportation and storage. Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, or KIST, have introduced a sustainable alternative by developing a high-performance carbon catalyst derived from wood waste. This technology allows for the electrochemical production of hydrogen peroxide from water and oxygen, bypassing the carbon-heavy infrastructure of traditional chemical manufacturing.

Upcycling Lignin from Timber Waste

The breakthrough centers on the use of lignin, a biopolymer frequently discarded as a byproduct by the timber and paper industries. Dr. Lee Young Jun and his team at KIST, in collaboration with Hanyang University and Pusan National University, utilized the Friedel-Crafts reaction to create a cross-linked lignin structure. This material then underwent carbonization to form a catalyst capable of achieving a hydrogen peroxide selectivity rate exceeding 95%. This level of efficiency is comparable to expensive, precious metal-based catalysts, yet it utilizes a raw material that is currently treated as industrial waste.

Precision Engineering of Oxygen Groups

The research team moved beyond simple biomass conversion by focusing on the chemical structure of the catalyst surface. They discovered that the distribution of oxygen functional groups determines the reaction's success. Specifically, the study found that C=O functional groups are essential for high selectivity, whereas OH groups tend to inhibit the desired reaction pathway. By gradually modulating these functional groups and selectively removing inhibitory ones, the researchers established new design criteria for electrochemical catalysts. This systematic analysis provides a fundamental principle that can be applied to various sustainable chemical processes in the future.