Will drive chemical reactions with electricity

Traditional chemistry frequently needs to use environmentally hazardous or toxic substances to start chemical processes. Wallenberg Academy Fellow Helena Lundberg is developing methods that will electrify chemistry. She drives chemical reactions using principles similar to those found in batteries, enabling a new and more sustainable type of chemistry. 

The manufacture of everything from pharmaceuticals to functional materials is fundamental to modern society. However, the building blocks of the chemical industry often come from fossil raw materials and manufacturing processes frequently rely on toxic reagents, placing great demands on waste management.

Dr Helena Lundberg, at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, is laying a foundation for a new and greener form of chemistry. Her goal is to power chemical reactions in a way similar to how batteries work. Using cathodes and anodes, which can give and take electrons, she breaks and alters chemical bonds.

This electrified method of controlling chemical processes is creating new potential for tailor-made molecules. Lundberg has taken on a major challenge: cleaving the strong bond between carbon and oxygen in alcohols. If she succeeds, her methods could be utilized to create chemical building blocks from biomass, for example. These building blocks could then be used for more sustainable construction of the molecules and materials on which our modern society depends. 

Photo: Patrik Lundin