The Use of a Molybdenum Polyoxometalated Compound to Increase the Amount of Extractives from Wood Wastes.

Marisabel Mecca,Luigi Todaro,Maurizio D’Auria

doi:10.3390/biom8030062

Abstract

The treatment of wood wastes of Castanea sativa L., Quercus frainetto, Larix decidua, and Paulownia tomentosa S. in autoclave in the presence of micrometric crystals of H3PMo12O40 showed an impressive increase of the amount of extractives. The extractives were mainly constituted of insoluble compounds that were analyzed by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after acetylation. The GC-MS analysis of the chloroform soluble fraction of the extractives obtained from sativa showed the presence of methyl hexadecanoate and octadecanoic acid, that of the extractives of frainetto showed the presence of octadecanal and some long chain hydrocarbons. decidua extracts showed the presence of large amounts of sesamin, while the extractives of P tomentosa revealed the presence of 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxycimmanaldehyde, and relevant amounts of long chain hydrocarbons. The insoluble fraction showed the presence of relevant amounts of several carbohydrates and, in the case of C. sativa, of inositol.

Highlights

Wood represents an important fraction of vegetable biomass
We reported the composition of the extracts of thermo-treated wood by using Soxhlet extraction and different solvents [1]; we reported the composition of the extractives of cedar when the extraction was performed both in autoclave using water and by using Soxhlet, and alder by using Soxhlet where the yields of extractives were enhanced by using molybdenum catalyst [2,3]
The composition in extractives (Soxhlet extraction by using ethanol/toluene mixture), lignin and holocellulose of the wood species has been reported in the Table 1

Summary

Introduction

Wood represents an important fraction of vegetable biomass. Wood processing results in the production of an enormous quantity of wood wastes, that can represent an ecological problem and a stimulus to find a possible reuse of these wastes. The possible reuse of wood wastes to obtain valuable substances is an attractive research field. Lignin accounts for 10–35% by weight of the lignocellulosic biomass, and it can represent a feedstock for aromatic chemicals (Figure 1) [4,5]. Vanillin can be obtained through a lignin depolymerization process [6], and vanillin, besides aroma application, can be the starting material for the production of new polymers [7], such as epoxy polymers [8], polycarbonates [9], and polyesters [10]

Methods

Results

Conclusion