Aromatics are critical carbon building blocks of polymers and other essential industrial materials, whose demand is rapidly increasing

The Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded a $2.957 million Cooperative Agreement to the University of Wisconsin System (operating as University of Wisconsin - Madison) on April 22, 2026, under the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy program (CFDA 81.135).

The award funds development of chemical production platforms that synthesize aromatic building blocks directly from carbon dioxide using plants as living refineries. Current aromatic chemical production—over 99 percent of benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX)—relies on fossil fuels and substantially contributes to global anthropogenic CO2 emissions and environmental pollution. The project aims to reverse this practice by establishing bio-based pathways for producing these critical carbon building blocks used in polymers and industrial materials.

Work is performed in Madison, Wisconsin, with a period of performance from April 22, 2026, through April 21, 2029. The Cooperative Agreement is assistance type funding under ARPA-E, which supports high-potential, high-impact energy technologies too early for private-sector investment.

Over 99% of these aromatic chemicals are currently produced from fossil fuels (so-called BTX, for benzene, toluene and xylene), substantially contributing to global anthropogenic CO2 emissions and environmental POLLUTION1,2. To reverse this unsustainable practice, this project aims to develop chemical production platforms that synthesize aromatic building blocks directly from CO2 using plants as living refineries.