Platform chemicals production from lipid-extracted Chlorella vulgaris through an eco-friendly catalyst

Abstract

Microalgae are a widely available, renewable, and sustainable resource for bioenergy which may be used as a carbon-neutral alternative. We conducted hydrothermal conversion with MSA to obtain levulinic (LA) and formic acids (FA) from the lipid-extracted Chlorella vulgaris. Based on our analysis of reciprocal interactions between reaction conditions, maximum LA yields were obtained at high temperature, mid-range catalyst concentration, and mid-/long-range reaction time. Maximum FA yields were obtained at high temperature, high-range acid concentration, and short-/mid-range time. Using the Box-Behnken method to optimize the reaction, yields of 39.17% for LA and 20.19% for FA were obtained with 5% biomass, 0.5 M MSA at 195 °C for 35 min. Moreover, the effect of CSF on yield of LA and FA could be suitably represented by Sigmoidal equations with high R2. Overall, the application of lipid-extracted microalgae residue and eco-friendly MSA may prove useful for platform chemicals production.