Botanochemicals: supplements to petrochemicals [Sources for energy and chemicals]

The development of alternative sources for energy and chemicals, particularly the use of plant biomass as a renewable resource for fuel or chemical feedstocks has received much recent attention. This report reviews the chemical utilization of plant materials for liquid fuels or organic chemicals, and presents the possibility of producing hydrocarbon and related chemical products, directly or indirectly, from extant plants rather than from fossil sources such as petroleum or coal.