Catalysts for Sustainable Biomass Conversion: Enzymatic and Chemical Approaches

Dear Colleagues,

The world is facing an unprecedented climate crisis driven by rising greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel dependence, and inefficient carbon utilization. Achieving carbon neutrality and Net Zero emissions requires disruptive innovation in how materials, fuels, and chemicals are produced. Catalysis lies at the heart of this transition.

Biomass, derived from agriculture, forestry, and food-processing residues, represents a renewable and carbon-neutral resource that can be a substitute for fossil feedstocks. However, its oxygen-rich and structurally complex nature differs fundamentally from hydrocarbon-based petroleum, posing major challenges for conventional catalysts. Most classical chemical catalysts—originally designed for hydrocarbon transformations—exhibit poor performance, low selectivity, or harsh reaction conditions when applied to oxygenated lignocellulosic materials.

To move beyond these limitations, a new generation of catalysts is urgently needed, catalysts that can efficiently deconstruct or transform biomass under mild, energy-efficient, and environmentally compatible conditions. Such advances will enable not only greener chemistry but also the emergence of new value chains in the bio-circular green (BCG) economy, where renewable feedstocks are transformed into fuels, biochemicals, and functional materials aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Among the catalytic strategies, biocatalysts and enzymatic systems stand out for their remarkable selectivity and eco-compatibility. Yet, their industrial application is still constrained by stability, substrate limitation, and cost. Cutting-edge tools in metagenomics, protein engineering, directed evolution, and synthetic biology now open up opportunities to discover or tailor enzymes with superior activity, robustness, and substrate selectivity.

In parallel, chemical catalysis is being redefined for bio-based transformation. New designs—such as metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), solid acids/bases, and nanostructured and hybrid catalysts—are enabling selective reactions of oxygenated biomolecules under milder conditions with a lower energy input. Integrating these chemical and biocatalysis approaches can accelerate the transition from traditional petrochemical systems toward carbon-efficient and climate-resilient production routes.

Ultimately, new products demand new catalysts, and new catalysts will create new value chains. This Special Issue provides a platform for pioneering studies that bridge molecular design, enzymatic and chemical catalysis, and process engineering to support the global pathway toward sustainable carbon utilization and climate change mitigation.

This Special Issue invites the submission of original research, short communications, reviews, and perspectives highlighting scientific and technological breakthroughs in chemical and biocatalysis for sustainable biomass valorization. Interdisciplinary contributions connecting biotechnology, catalysis, and green process design are especially encouraged.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

Discovery and screening of novel microorganisms and enzymes with exceptional catalytic activity or substrate specificity.

Genetic, protein, and metabolic engineering for improved enzyme stability, selectivity, and production efficiency.

Synthetic biology and cell-factory design for multi-enzyme or cascade catalysis.

Development of advanced chemical catalysts (solid acids/bases, MOFs, nanocatalysts, or hybrid systems) tailored for oxygenated biomass substrates.

Hybrid biocatalytic–chemical catalytic systems and process integration for enhanced conversion yield, purity, and energy efficiency.

Mechanistic and structure–function studies of catalytic systems for biomass transformation.

Process intensification, technoeconomic analysis, and lifecycle assessment supporting carbon-neutral operations.

Case studies linking catalyst innovation to new product development and emerging bio-based value chains.

Dr. Paripok Phitsuwan
Prof. Dr. Ken-Lin Chang
Prof. Dr. Navadol Laosiripojana
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• biocatalyst
• chemical catalyst
• biomass valorization
• synthetic biology
• enzyme engineering
• green chemistry
• bio-circular green economy
• net zero
• sustainable development goals (SDGs)
• climate change