Abstract
Developing economical and sustainable fractionation technology of lignocellulose cell walls is the key to reaping the full benefits of lignocellulosic biomass. This study evaluated the potential of metal chloride-assisted p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TsOH) hydrolysis at low temperatures and under acid concentration for the co-production of sugars and lignocellulosic nanofibrils (LCNF). The results indicated that three metal chlorides obviously facilitated lignin solubilization, thereby enhancing the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency and subsequent cellulose nanofibrillation. The CuCl2-assisted hydrotropic pretreatment was most suitable for delignification, resulting in a relatively higher enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency of 53.2%. It was observed that the higher residual lignin absorbed on the fiber surface, which exerted inhibitory effects on the enzymatic hydrolysis, while the lower lignin content substrates resulted in less entangled LCNF with thinner diameters. The metal chloride-assisted rapid and low-temperature fractionation process has a significant potential in achieving the energy-efficient and cost-effective valorization of lignocellulosic biomass.
Highlights
Lignocellulose biomass is an abundant and sustainable, carbon-neutral resource
The chemical compositions and yields of the alkaline peroxide mechanical pulp (APMP) from fractionation runs under different metal chloride-assisted hydrotropic pretreatments are summarized in Table 1, along with the glucose and xylose concentrations in the spent liquors
The results indicated that the solid yields obviously decreased from 80.18% to 65.94%, 63.32%, and 64.47%, respectively, after the addition of metal chlorides (FeCl3 ·6H2 O, AlCl3 ·6H2 O, and CuCl2 ·2H2 O) during hydrotropic pretreatment
Summary
Lignocellulose biomass is an abundant and sustainable, carbon-neutral resource. It can be converted into different high-value-added products (e.g., biofuels and nanocellulose). Lignocellulose consists of carbohydrate polymers (cellulose and hemicellulose) and an aromatic polymer (lignin), which are tightly bonded together by ester and ether linkages [7]. The complexity of these components and their arrangement makes the cell wall naturally resistant, making pretreatment necessary for its deconstruction or fractionation, which is the key to achieving a green, biobased economy
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