**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** CELLULOSE IS THE MOST ABUNDANT BIOPOLYMER ON EARTH AND THE RESOURCEFUL UTILIZATION OF THIS RENEWABLE CARBON SOURCE IS A PARAMOUNT FACTOR IN ACHIEVING A SUSTAINABLE CARBON BASED FUTURE. HOWEVER CERTAIN DEFICIENCIES SUCH AS PRE-TREATMENT REQUIREMENTS AND ENZYME COSTS IN CURRENT ENZYMATIC CELLULOSE HYDROLYSIS TECHNOLOGIES HAVE ENCOURAGED THE RESEARCH INTO MORE EFFICIENT RECYCLABLE CATALYTIC METHODS FOR HARVESTING THE FULL POTENTIAL OF THIS POLYSACCHARIDE.IN A PRELIMINARY STUDY WE HAVE RECENTLY FOUND THAT A COMBINATION OF CERTAIN TRANSITION METAL SALTS AND ACIDIC IONIC LIQUIDS CAN ACT AS CATALYSTS IN THE HYDROLYSIS OF CELLULOSE IN WATER MIMICKING CELLULASE ENZYMES. NEVERTHELESS, THE MECHANISM OF THIS EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH CATALYTIC ACTIVITY OF THE NEW COMBINED ACIDIC IONIC LIQUID - METAL ION SYSTEM IS NOT KNOWN. THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO INVESTIGATE THE MECHANISM OF THE NEW CATALYST SYSTEM BY SPECTROSCOPIC METHODS, STUDYING KINETIC, THERMODYNAMIC PARAMETERS AND DEVELOP A NEW CLASS OF ARTIFICIAL CELLULASE TYPE CATALYSTS BASED ON THIS VERY ENCOURAGING PRELIMINARY RESULT. THE FINAL OBJECTIVE IS TO ENGINEER A RECYCLABLE NEW CELLULASE MIMIC TYPE CHEMOCATALYTIC SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS FORMS SUCH AS ENERGY- CROPS AND AGRICULTURAL WASTES TO FUELS/FEEDSTOCK CHEMICALS WITHOUT AN ENERGY INTENSIVE PRETREATMENT.