Researchers Assist. Prof. Sašo Gyergyek and Prof. Darko Makovec from the Department for Materials Synthesis, in collaboration with researchers from the Department of Catalysis and Reaction Engineering of the National Institute of Chemistry, published a paper in Green Chemistry entitled Electro-hydrogenation of biomass-derived levulinic acid to γ-valerolactone via the magnetic heating of a Ru nanocatalyst. In the paper they demonstrate application of heating of magnetic nanoparticles imbedded within a Ru-based composite catalyst when exposed to alternating magnetic field to drive chemical reaction. The in-depth analysis and modelling of surface processes showed that the surface of the catalyst reaches a higher temperature than bulk of the medium, resulting in an increased rate of conversion and thus increasing the yield of γ-valerolactone under mild conditions. The research demonstrates the high potential of magnetic heating for heterogeneous reaction systems with thermally labile reactant, such as biomass components.