NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—Alan Goldman, a Rutgers University chemistry professor recently recieved an award for his work with the manipulation of hydrocarbons from the American Chemical Society.

The award he recieved, the first of its kind, is the American Chemical Society’s Catalysis Lecturship for the Advancement of Catalytic Science.  Professor Goldman’s groundbreaking work was in the area of creating cleaner and more efficient fuel cells.

According to a press release from Rutgers, Goldman’s work addresses the U.S. dependency on foreign oil and makes huge strides in developing cleaner fuel for Americans.  During his 25-year-career, Goldman has focused on the conversions of hydrocarbons, which is an organic compound found in fossil fuels.

“We hope to one day eliminate our dependence on foreign fuels” says Goldman, “The U.S. has 40-times more coal energy that oil, large reserves of natural gas, and many sources of biomass including agricultural byproducts, so if we are successful, the impact could be quite significant…A cleaner, more cost-effective fuel supply would produce tremendous economic and enviromental benefits”.

Through his research, Goldman developed a way to use low-value byproducts that may be obtained from coal, natural gas, or plants and convert them into a synthetic diesel fuel that is would be more enviromentally-friendly than traditional diesel fuel. 

The release said that, “Goldman’s research has contributed to the development of novel catalytic methods for hydrocarbon conversions, which are required to use fossil fuels more efficiently and create sustainable fuel resources.

“His research has also provided importatn insights into the fundamental steps underlying hydrocarbon processes, vital to advancing the technology”.