A research team of IIT Guwahati has formulated efficient "pincer" catalytic systems that transform biomass wastes into valuable chemicals. Tiny amounts of these "pincer catalysts" repeatedly convert large amounts of industrial waste such as glycerol into lactic acid and hydrogen.<br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;">Official sources said that such catalysts also efficiently convert bioethanol, a low-energy density fuel, into high-energy density butanol. The conversion of valuable intermediates such as glycerol and ethanol, produced during the processing of biomass, into industrially useful chemicals has elicited much interest worldwide.</span><br />