Researchers at Kyushu University have developed a device that combines a catalyst and microwave flow reaction to efficiently convert complex polysaccharides into simpler monosaccharides. This device uses a continuous-flow hydrolysis process, where cellobiose â a disaccharide composed of two glucose molecules â is passed through a sulfonated carbon catalyst that is heated using microwaves. The chemical reaction that follows breaks down cellobiose into glucose. Their results are published in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.
