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Amid growing global concern over climate change and plastic pollution, researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University are making great strides in the sustainable production of fumaric acid -- a component of biodegradable plastics such as polybutylene succinate, which is commonly used for food packaging.

Fumarate and succinate, for example, are formed as intermediate products in the mitochondria of cells.

Now, a team at HZB led by Prof. Alexander Föhlisch has elucidated the influence of the electronic structure on the stability of fumarate, maleate and succinate dianions.

The analysis of the spectral data shows that maleate is potentially less stable than fumarate and succinate.

The researchers hypothesized that if they could supply some of the missing succinate molecules, they might be able to restore energy production -- essentially jumpstarting the stalled mitochondrial Krebs cycle.