Over the last several decades, efforts in understanding atomic and molecular scale processes in
electrocatalysis have enabled key technologies that are well positioned to be major contributors to
our global renewable energy transition. Examples include H 2 fuel cells that emit water vapor as
their primary emission, and water electrolysis to sustainably source H 2 fuel from water vs fossil
fuels. Both topics are of significant scientific importance and have been the focus of previous
Telluride Science Workshops (TSW) in recent years. Though the future prospects of H 2 fuels are
exciting, issues in safe storage, development of new infrastructure, and energy densities that do
not translate across all sectors still persist . Moreover, the obvious need for decarbonized chemical
products beyond fuels is not immediately solved through the emerging H 2 economy. As such,
alternative approaches to greener chemistry that implement sustainable electrons and carbon are
of paramount importance to ensure global sustainability initiatives.

The conversion of biomass into useful fuels, commodity chemicals, and solid carbon sources
provides pathways toward decreased carbon intensity in a wide range of sectors due to
availability, intrinsic renewability, and chemical variability. Wide implementation of biomass
conversion technologies at present involves high temperature processes, where high energy
inputs and associated carbon intensities often offset gains in sustainability afforded through
biomass as a source material. Inspired by the resurgence in H 2 and associated electrochemical
conversion technologies, increasing research efforts in electrochemical processing of biomass are
demonstrating the ability to convert biomass substrates into chemistry and fuels. Successes in the
field are noteworthy, with several reports of electrochemical conversion processes yielding near
100% Faradaic efficiency and conversion at room temperature, often with catalysts without Pt
group metals.

At present, the field of biomass electroconversion is small and perhaps too focused on a handful
of substrates and reactions. From the viewpoint of biomass valorization options, the field has
barely scratched the surface. Opportunities in coupling reactions, depolymerization, wastewater
treatment, hydrogenation and other conversion chemistries are ripe for exploration. The TSW
aims to bring experts from a range of science and engineering disciplines together to exchange
expertise in electrocatalysis, biomass conversion processes, and end-use cases to help generate
new concepts in this emerging field. Our overall goal is that this TSW will help pave the path
toward sustainability to through biomass electroconversion.