TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Material: The base is a metal hydroxide compound, preferably alkali metal hydroxide compound, or alkaline earth metal hydroxide compound.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The organic matter is biomass. The carbohydrate is monosaccharide, disaccharide, oligosaccharide, glucose, or sucrose. It is in a reduced form, preferably alcohol; or oxidized form, preferably acid. It has empirical formula of CnH2nOn. The organic matter comprises greater than or equal to2 (preferably greater than or equal to3) carbohydrates.n=index having an integer value, preferably greater than 5.Preferred Process: The organic matter and the base are reacted in the presence of water, which is in the form of water vapor. They react in the solid phase water. The reaction step occurs in the absence of liquid phase water. The reaction step occurs at 25-100degreesC or 100-200degreesC. The reaction step further forms a carbonate or bicarbonate compound. The process includes reacting the carbonate or bicarbonate compound with a metal hydroxide compound, in which the carbonate or bicarbonate compound is formed as a precipitate or in the form of an aqueous salt; thermally decomposing the carbonate or bicarbonate precipitate to produce a metal oxide; and electrochemical reaction occurring in an electrochemical cell into which the organic matter, the base and an electrolyte are placed to form an electrochemical reaction system in contact with the electrochemical cell including an anode and cathode. The electrochemical reaction is initiated upon applying a voltage between the anode and the cathode.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Material: The base is a metal hydroxide compound, preferably alkali metal hydroxide compound, or alkaline earth metal hydroxide compound.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Material: The carbohydrate is polysaccharide, cellulose, or starch. EXAMPLE - Glucose (75 g) was combined with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) (145 g), water (125 mL) and a catalyst (20% platinum (Pt) on carbon (C) supported on a silver-plated nickel screen) in a 1 L round bottom flask. The flask was sealed and equipped with a pressure gauge. The temperature of the flask was raised to 115degreesC and the gas pressure in the headspace of the flask was measured as a function of time. The results of the experiment were shown in figure 1 where the gauge pressure in psi was reported as a function of reaction time. The results indicated that a steady increase in the pressure of the gas contained in the headspace of the flask occurred with increasing reaction time. After 150 minutes of reaction, an aliquot of the gas produced was analyzed with gas chromatography and was determined to be hydrogen gas. The results of the experiment indicated that hydrogen can be continually produced in a state of high purity at high reaction rates under reasonable reaction conditions. The 115degreesC temperature used in the example was much lower than the temperatures that would be required for the conventional-type reformation reaction of glucose.