Abundant Biomass Source Research Articles

Exploring the Photocatalytic Cleavage Pathway of the β-5 Linkage Lignin Model Compound on Carbon Nitride.

As a globally abundant source of biomass, lignocellulosic biomass has been the centre of attention as a potential resource for green energy generation and value-added chemical production. A key component of lignocellulosic biomass, lignin, which is comprised of aromatic monomers, is a potential feedstock for value added chemical production. The cleavage processes of the linkages between monomers to obtain high value products, however, requires significant investigation as it is a complex, non-facile process. This study focuses on the photocatalytic valorization of a β-5 lignin model compound, a key linkage in the lignin structure. It was found that greater yields of aromatic products were obtained from the photocatalytic conversion of β-5 lignin model compound using carbon nitride (CN) when compared to Evonik P25 titanium dioxide (TiO2). Products of the β-5 model compound photocatalytic conversion were determined and C-C bond cleavage was observed. It was also determined that the solvent participated in the reactions with the introduction of a cyano group to one of the products. Radical quenching experiments revealed that superoxide radicals participated in the CN photocatalytic conversion. These results reveal for the first time the products and possible mechanism of the photocatalytic transformation of β-5 model compounds using CN photocatalysis.

One‐Pot, One‐Step Synthesis of 2,5‐Diformylfuran from an Abundant Biomass Source and Low‐Cost Bromide Salts

AbstractThe process of synthesizing 2,5‐diformylfuran (DFF) from sucrose involves three sequential steps: hydrolyzing sucrose into fructose and glucose, dehydrating fructose into 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), and subsequently converting HMF into DFF. In this study, various potassium salts and metal bromides, as well as carbohydrates and solvents, were screened for the production of DFF. It was found that KBr was the optimal catalyst for the one‐pot, one‐step conversion of sucrose to DFF. The influences of reaction time, temperature, reactant/solvent ratio, and reactant/catalyst ratio were also completely investigated for process optimization. HMF from the sucrose hydrolysis and fructose dehydration was oxidized thoroughly to DFF. The maximum DFF yield of 62.5 % was achieved after 6 h at 140 °C in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) with sucrose/KBr weight ratio=5.75 and sucrose/DMSO weight ratio=0.104 as the catalyst in the absence of any additives. The large‐scale process was also tested, the main product was isolated by column chromatography and structurally characterized. By comparing the results of this study to previous ones, the process was proved to have benefits, including the utilization of accessible biomass material, available low‐cost catalyst, energy‐saving method, no oxidants or additives, short reaction time, and high DFF yield with 100 % HMF conversion.

Laser‐assisted graphene‐like materials for oil‐spill clean up

AbstractConventional synthetic sorbents for oil spill cleanup are the most widely employed materials, although a major drawback is the extensive chemical modification that they have undergone, making them economically and environmentally nonsustainable. The use of inexpensive, abundant, nontoxic, biodegradable, and reusable lignocellulosic materials might be an alternative to conventional sorbents, with obvious positive impact on sustainability and circular economy. The present study subsequently utilizes the well‐established process, of converting grape molasses—a byproduct of the winemaking industry that represents a typical and abundant source of biomass—into a laser‐assisted graphene‐like product (LA‐B). Comparative experiments were carried out with two additional materials that are similarly produced by the same laser‐assisted method, yet use synthetic polyimide foil and tape polymers as precursors, namely LA‐F and LA‐T. The results showed that diesel oil adsorption capacity of LA‐B was 33.5 g/g, while the ultraoleophilic LA‐T adsorbed 57 g/g and LA‐F adsorbed 41 g/g. Furthermore, the crude oil uptake was 31.1, 56.0, and 38.6 g/g for LA‐B, LA‐T, and LA‐F, respectively. The adsorption of oil on the used materials could be well‐described by pseudo‐second‐order kinetics, showing that over 80% of oil was removed from the water within 15 min.

The fasciclin-like arabinogalactan protein FLA11 of Ostrya rehderiana impacts wood formation and salt stress in Populus

Wood is an abundant source of biomass and an important biomaterial for renewable resources and industrial products worldwide. Fasciclin-like arabinogalactan proteins (FLAs) are essential for plant growth, development, and responses to various abiotic stresses and are also closely associated with wood formation. However, the biological roles of FLAs in trees remain largely unclear. Here, we identified the FLA family in the ironwood tree (Ostrya rehderiana) and elucidated its possible function in poplar. Our results showed that OreFLAs underwent significant gene expansion due to multiple duplication events, leading to apparent functional redundancy. Among these genes, OreFLA11 was highly expressed in the xylem and roots. Overexpression of OreFLA11 in Populus alba var. pyramidalis altered xylem structure and cell wall composition, such as thickening the xylem and secondary cell wall (SCW), decreasing lignin contents and increasing cellulose contents, resulting in increased stem tensile strength but decreased salt tolerance, suggesting that OreFLA11 plays a negative role in the salt stress response. The mutant Palfla11 generated using CRIPSR-Cas9 methods showed the opposite phenotype compared to that of OreFLA11-OE poplars, indicating that the orthologues function similarly in wood formation. Furthermore, the transcriptome analysis showed that genes such as PME, BGAL and BGLU, related to cell wall biosynthesis, were up-regulated while the genes associated with salt stress resistance (CYSB, TSPO, RCI2B and CIPK6) were down-regulated in OreFLA11-OE poplars. These results indicated that OreFLA11 promotes wood formation and modulates stem mechanical properties but decreases tolerance to salt stress by decreasing the transcript abundance of salt-responsive genes in trees.

Analysis of the Heat Treatment Effect of CsPbBr<sub>3</sub> Photoanode on the Photoelectrochemical Performance: Preliminary Results

The perovskite CsPbBr3 possesses good photoelectrochemical properties, making it a potential candidate for use as a photoanode. The commonly used photoanode is the FTO/TiO2/CsPbBr3 photoanode in water splitting applications. However, there has been no research conducted on the FTO/TiO2/CsPbBr3 photoanode for the oxidation of glucose derived from abundant biomass sources. This study aims to analyze the influence of heat treatment and glucose concentration on the performance of glucose oxidation, as well as the efficiency of glucose conversion and electricity production. First, CsPbBr3 solution is prepared under vacuum conditions using the Ligand Assisted Reprecipitation (LARP) method. Subsequently, the fabrication process of the FTO/TiO2/CsPbBr3 photoanode is carried out with variations including no heat treatment, heat treatment at a temperature of 110°C, and variations in glucose solution concentrations of 0.2 M and 0.5 M. XRD and SEM tests are conducted to determine the formed phases and morphology of CsPbBr3. The XRD and SEM results confirm the presence of CsPbBr3 phase and the formation of CsPb2Br5 phase due to the heat treatment process. The EIS testing reveals that the heat treatment process induces an oxidation process in the CsPbBr3 perovskite, which can decrease the glucose oxidation performance of the FTO/TiO2/CsPbBr3 photoanode. Based on HPLC analysis, the highest conversion efficiency of glucose is 97.37%, respectively under 110 oC heat treatment and with 0.5 M glucose.

Thirteen‐year stover harvest and tillage effects on soil compaction in Iowa

AbstractCorn (Zea mays L.) stover is an abundant biomass source with multiple end‐uses including cellulosic biofuel production. However, stover removal may increase soil compaction by reducing organic matter inputs and increasing vehicle loads during harvest. While numerous studies have reported stover removal impacts on soil physical quality, few have assessed the role played by traffic compaction. Our objective was to quantify subsurface soil compaction after 13 years of chisel plow versus no‐till management and no, moderate (3.5 ± 1.1 Mg ha−1 year−1), or high (5.0 ± 1.7 Mg ha−1 year−1) stover harvest rates. Penetration resistance was measured in most‐ and least‐trafficked interrow spaces. Chisel plowed plots with moderate and high levels of stover removal had higher penetration resistance in trafficked areas relative to least‐trafficked areas, whereas there was no evidence of traffic compaction when stover was retained. Traffic compaction did not negatively impact yields, which were greater with high levels of stover removal compared to no removal. The no‐till practice led to very small increases in penetration resistance with wheel traffic and had no evidence of increased compaction with residue removal. This lack of traffic compaction indicated soils under no‐till practice have a higher load‐bearing capacity than soils under chisel plow practice. Overall, there were no yield‐limiting effects of tillage practice or stover removal, and no evidence of soil compaction below the plow layer, suggesting stover removal with both tillage practices can be effectively employed without detrimental effects on plant or soil health.

Simple lignin-based, light-driven shape memory polymers with excellent mechanical properties and wide range of glass transition temperatures

Lignin is the most abundant biomass source of aromatic hydrocarbons but, at present, is not effectively utilized. The development of simple and efficient methods for producing lignin-based polymers to replace petroleum-based products is an important strategy for promoting environmentally friendly and sustainable materials and controlling carbon emissions. In this work, lignin-based, light-driven shape memory polymers (ELIDs) with improved mechanical properties have been prepared from enzymatic hydrolysis lignin, itaconic acid and 1,12-dodecanediol, without any chemical modification of the lignin. The polymers contain large proportions of lignin (20–40 wt%, designated ELID20 to ELID40) and their mechanical properties are dependent on the lignin content. Maximum tensile strength (46.9 MPa) was achieved with ELID30, maximum elongation at break (93.7 %) was achieved with ELID20 and highest fracture energy (10.75 J cm−3) was achieved with ELID25. These excellent mechanical properties are accompanied by good thermal stability and a wide range of glass transition temperatures (21.2–157.3 °C), supporting a broad range of applications. The shape fixation rate (Rf) and shape recovery rate (Rr) were highest for ELID30 (98.7 % and 97.4 %, respectively). Under 1 sun simulated solar irradiation, ELID20 reached a temperature exceeding the glass transition temperature in 15 s and, under 3 sun simulated solar irradiation, ELID30 reached a temperature of 130 °C and shape recovered in 60 s. The excellent mechanical properties and good light-driven shape memory of ELIDs provide inspiration for the development and utilization of lignin-based polymers.

A strong and biodegradable wood particles-based bioplastic modified by synergistically dynamic cross-linking with tannic acid and Fe3+

The widespread use of petrochemical plastics has caused surging environmental problems and health hazard. Fabrication of biodegradable, eco-friendly and high-performance bioplastic with a facile and efficient way to replace petrochemical materials remains an enormous challenge. As low-cost and abundant sustainable materials, wood particles have the advantages of good processing performance and have been widely studied recently. Herein, a new high-performance sustainable bioplastic was constructed with delignified wood particles (DWP) matrix and enhanced by tannic acid (TA) crosslinked Fe3+ through hot-pressing process. The synergy of dynamic hydrogen bonds and coordination bonds endowed the resultant DWP-based bioplastic with a high tensile strength of 57.5 ± 3.17 MPa that surpassed those of most bioplastics and satisfactory water resistance. Moreover, the resulting film remained more than 94% mechanical properties after staying in harsh conditions for a long time, displaying excellent stability. Furthermore, the DWP/TA/Fe3+ film also demonstrated unique transparency (an average transmittance of 46.74%), decent antioxidant capacity and outstanding biodegradability. In addition, a laminated composite from the DWP-based films and PVA adhesive showed an excellent tensile strength of 70.42 ± 4.52 MPa, higher than some natural woods, which was helpful to expand the industrial application of DWP-based bioplastic. This approach provides a promising pathway for developing strong and sustainable bioplastics with low-cost and abundant biomass sources, and help the development of high-performance bioplastics in the field of disposable tableware, green films and packing materials.

Brewers’ Spent Grains‐Derived Carbon as Anode for Alkali Metal‐Ion Batteries

Herein, the synthesis of a nongraphitizable carbon through cost‐effective pyrolysis of a brewery waste product is reported. It is demonstrated that it is possible to realize hard carbon (HC) with structural and morphological properties from an abundant biomass source with a suitable application in energy storage devices. Resulting HC displays reversible capacities of 334, 112 , and 140 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 1C with high charge/discharge efficiency (>99.6%) in Li‐ion, Na‐ion, and K‐ion batteries, respectively. Thus, HC derived from brewers’ spent grains can be considered as promising materials for the realization of advanced metal‐ion batteries.

Obtaining (5-formylfuran-2-yl)methyl 4-chlorobenzoate through an esterification of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural: Interesting achiral molecule crystallizing in a Sohncke P212121 space group

We report the catalyst-free synthesis of (5-formylfuran-2-yl)methyl 4-chlorobenzoate in 71% yield by an O-acylation reaction of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural with 4-chlorobenzoyl chloride using a slight excess of triethylamine in dichloromethane at 20 °C for 24 h. The structure of the 5-HMF aryl ester was characterized by FT–IR, UV–Vis, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This compound was recrystallized from methanol at ambient temperature under normal pressure conditions. X-Ray diffraction analyses show that achiral 5-HMF aryl ester crystallizes in a Sohncke P212121 space group, which could be related to a potential nonlinear optic property from inexpensive and readily abundant biomass sources. In the supramolecular structure, short hydrogen bonds were detected. However, computed CE-B3LYP (kJ/mol) intermolecular interaction energies indicate that the growth of the crystal is preferentially driven by dispersion forces.

Combustion Characteristics of A Wood Pellet Made of Albizia Chinensis and Rice Husk

<p>To reduce dependence on fossil fuel, biomass, e.g. the wood pellet, has been developed in recent years. Indonesia has an abundant source of biomass, e.g. wood and rice husk. This work investigates the combustion characteristics of the wood pellet made of Albizia Chinensis and rice husk. The analyzed combustion properties are ignition delay time, the mass of residue, combustion duration, combustion rate, maximum flame temperature, During the experiment, the rice husk content varies between 0 to 50%. As the rice husk content increases from 0 to 50%, the ignition delay time increases from 6 to 9.9 seconds, the mass of residue increases from 21.2 to 45 % and the combustion rate decreases from 0.55 to 0.52 g/min. In addition, higher rice husk content also decreases the maximum temperature.</p>

Recyclable Cu Salt-Derived Brønsted Acids for Hydrolytic Hydrogenation of Cellulose on Ru Catalyst

Bronsted acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of cellulose, the most abundant source of biomass in nature, is the critical step for its depolymerization and subsequent conversion to sugar alcohols and other i...

Co-digestion of cocoa pods and cocoa leaves: Effect of C/N ratio to biogas and energy potential

In Indonesia, energy needs are mostly fulfilled by non-renewable fuels. In the longer term, such practices may lead to an energy crisis due to problems of resource continuity and availability. Therefore, the development of renewable energy remains a priority for the Indonesian Government, one of which is from biomass sources. Indonesia has vast and abundant biomass sources available for further transformation to bioenergy. Waste from the cocoa plantation (e.g. cocoa pods and cocoa leaves), for instance, contain organic materials that are potential for biogas production. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of the C/N ratio on biogas production and energy potential from the co-digestion of cocoa husk with cocoa leaves. The Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) test operated under batch and mesophilic condition for 28 days were carried out. The samples tested include blank control, positive control (α-cellulose), and co-digestion samples at different C/N ratio in the range of 22 to 25, prepared in triplicate. The results indicated that pH inhibition was not evident during the digestion process. The findings also confirmed that the co-digestion of cocoa pods with cocoa leaves at a much higher C/N ratio was able to enhance biogas production. Further estimation on the electricity potential showed a potential application of this co-digestion strategy for providing alternative renewable energy sources.

The Anaerobic Fungi: Challenges and Opportunities for Industrial Lignocellulosic Biofuel Production.

Lignocellulose is a promising feedstock for biofuel production as a renewable, carbohydrate-rich and globally abundant source of biomass. However, challenges faced include environmental and/or financial costs associated with typical lignocellulose pretreatments needed to overcome the natural recalcitrance of the material before conversion to biofuel. Anaerobic fungi are a group of underexplored microorganisms belonging to the early diverging phylum Neocallimastigomycota and are native to the intricately evolved digestive system of mammalian herbivores. Anaerobic fungi have promising potential for application in biofuel production processes due to the combination of their highly effective ability to hydrolyse lignocellulose and capability to convert this substrate to H2 and ethanol. Furthermore, they can produce volatile fatty acid precursors for subsequent biological conversion to H2 or CH4 by other microorganisms. The complex biological characteristics of their natural habitat are described, and these features are contextualised towards the development of suitable industrial systems for in vitro growth. Moreover, progress towards achieving that goal is reviewed in terms of process and genetic engineering. In addition, emerging opportunities are presented for the use of anaerobic fungi for lignocellulose pretreatment; dark fermentation; bioethanol production; and the potential for integration with methanogenesis, microbial electrolysis cells and photofermentation.

Pretreatment of Tropical Lignocellulosic Biomass for Industrial Biofuel Production : A Review

As energy demand increase with human activities, the practical solution this far is to use more fossil-based energy to meet those demand. Diminishing fossil energy reserves that can cause crisis and also the increasing price of fossil energy are the main challenges for the world, and are a big problem for developing countries. Environmental factors, sustainability, and national resilience are the main considerations for replacing fossil energy with non-fossil alternative energy such as solar energy, hydro energy, wind energy and biomass or biofuel energy. Lignocellulosic biomass which is a waste from the agricultural industry, livestock industry waste, solid waste and other materials is the most abundant source of biomass that can be used to produce biofuels. In Indonesia, the most abundant sources are palm oil empty fruit bunches, corn stover, rice husks, rice straw, sugarcane bagasse, and coconut husk. Utilization of lignocellulosic biomass to be converted into energy requires pretreatment to change interactions between components found in plant cell walls. Pretreatment can remove physical and chemical barriers that make lignocellulosic material difficult to react and difficult to access by enzymes for the hydrolysis process. While the hydrolysis process is a vital stage in the biochemical process from lignocellulose to sugar-based energy conversion. By comparing several pretreatments based on glucose yield and other technical factors, it can be concluded that steam explosion is the best pretreatment by the reason of not requiring a small sizing on the biomass so that it is more energy efficient; not use chemicals; low water content causes energy saving; no degradation of cellulose and lignin so that sugar yields are higher and lignin can be recovered; and also the results of hemicellulose degradation can be separated by leaching and having economical value. The mechanism of the process that occurs in the steam explosion pretreatment is that high temperatures cause the release of acetyl groups on the hemicellulose structure which causes autohydrolysis to degrade hemicellulose; high temperatures cause steam to be acidic and degrade hemicellulose and hydrolyze some cellulose; sudden pressure drop causes redistribution of the lignin structure so that the lignin structure is not damaged and can be recovered; the loss of lignin and hemicellulose which blocks enzyme access to cellulose causes an increase in glucose yield during the enzymatic hydrolysis process. The steam explosion pretreatment method is not effective for hard biomass, but that raw material is more effectively processed using the alkaline method.

Magnesium Oxide-Catalyzed Conversion of Chitin to Lactic Acid.

Although chitin, an N‐acetyl‐D‐glucosamine polysaccharide, can be converted to valuable products by means of homogeneous catalysis, most of the chitin generated by food processing is treated as industrial waste. Thus, a method for converting this abundant source of biomass to useful chemicals, such as lactic acid, would be beneficial. In this study, we determined the catalytic activities of various metal oxides for chitin conversion at 533 K and found that MgO showed the highest activity for lactic acid production. X‐ray diffraction analysis and thermogravimetry‐differential thermal analysis showed that the MgO was transformed to Mg(OH)2 during chitin conversion. The highest yield of lactic acid (10.8 %) was obtained when the reaction was carried out for 6 h with 0.5 g of the MgO catalyst. The catalyst could be recovered as a solid residue after the reaction and reused twice with no decrease in the lactic acid yield.

Enhancing methane production from dewatered waste activated sludge through alkaline and photocatalytic pretreatment

Waste activated sludge generated from wastewater treatment plants makes an abundant source of biomass. Its effective utilization through anaerobic digestion (AD) requires pretreatment to disintegrate the sludge matrix and increase organic matter availability. In this study, dewatered waste activated sludge (DWAS) was subjected to alkaline, photocatalytic, and alkaline-photocatalytic pretreatment for its disintegration and subsequent methane production using different concentrations of sodium hydroxide and titania nanoparticles. Individual pretreatment resulted in maximum disintegration degree (DDsCOD) of 11.3 and 5.2% at 0.8% NaOH and 0.6 gTiO2/L, respectively. Alkaline-photocatalytic pretreatment yielded 37% DDsCOD at 0.8% NaOH–0.4 g/L TiO2. As compared to control, AD at 0.4% NaOH and 0.5 g/L TiO2 pretreatments yielded maximum methane, which was 50.4 and 32.6% higher. Similarly, alkaline-photocatalytic pretreatment at 0.4% NaOH-0.5 g/L TiO2 yielded methane as 462 N mL/g VS, which was 71.1% higher. Modified Gompertz model fitted the methane yield data well.

Embedding Single Platinum Atoms Into Nickel Nanoparticles Affords Highly Selective Catalysts for Lignin Conversion

Lignin is an abundant biomass source that can be converted into value-added aromatic platform chemicals. Due to the highly complex polyphenolic-structure of lignin, depolymerisation without a prior chemical treatment is challenging, and new, superior catalysts are required. Atomically dispersed catalysts containing isolated atoms are able to maximize the atomic efficiency of noble metals in a catalytic process, simultaneously providing an alternative strategy to tune the activity and selectivity by alloying with other abundant metal supports. Herein, we report a highly active and selective catalyst comprising monodispersed (single) Pt atoms on Ni nanoparticles supported on carbon (denoted as Pt1Ni/C where Pt1 represent single Pt atoms), designed for the reductive depolymerization of lignin. Selectivity towards 4-n-propylsyringol and 4-n-propylguaiacol, in which the aromatic rings are preserved, exceeds 90%. The activity and selectivity of the engineered Pt1Ni/C catalyst in the reductive depolymerization of lignin may be attributed to synergistic effects between the Ni nanoparticles that promote dissociation of H2 and supply the absorbed hydrogen to the single Pt atoms where cleavage of the C-O bonds takes place.

A biorefinery approach for the production of bioethanol from alkaline-pretreated, enzymatically hydrolyzed Nicotiana tabacum stalks as feedstock for the bio-based industry

In this study, an attempt was made to investigate bioethanol production using low-cost feedstock, namely, tobacco wastes obtained after the leaves harvesting. Tobacco stalks, an abundant biomass source of the leftover agricultural crop field, are a promising feedstock for bioethanol production. Traditional Thai tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is known as non-Virginia type tobacco stalks and was used as biomass feedstock for ethanol production by separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) with a computerized fermenter. Tobacco stalks were efficiently hydrolyzed after a mild physical-chemical pretreatment. The economically cheapest alkaline chemical (2% CaO) was used for pretreatment. The robust yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was utilized, and it is suitable for industrial ethanol production. These data suggest that tobacco stalks are potential candidates for ethanol production from physical alkali-pretreated biomass with enzymatic hydrolysis on the SHF system.

Heteropoly Acid-Based Catalysts for Hydrolytic Depolymerization of Cellulosic Biomass.

Cellulose is the most abundant source of biomass, which can be converted into monosaccharide or other chemical platform molecules for the sustainable production of chemicals and fuels. Acid catalysts can promote hydrolytic degradation of cellulose into valuable platform molecules, which is of great significance in the development of chemicals and biofuels. However, there are still some shortcomings and limitations of the catalysts for the hydrolytic degradation of cellulosic biomass. Heteropoly acid (HPA), as a green catalyst, seems to be more conducive to the degradation of cellulosic biomass due to its extreme acidity. HPAs can be designed in homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. Moreover, they can be easily separated from the products in both systems by a simple extraction process. According to the unique properties of HPAs (e.g., good solubility, high thermal stability, and strong acidity), using heteropoly acid-based catalysts to depolymerize and convert cellulose into value-added chemicals and biofuels has become one of the most remarkable processes in chemistry for sustainability. In this review, the characteristics, advantages, and applications of HPAs in different categories for cellulose degradation, especially hydrolysis hydrolytic degradation, are summarized. Moreover, the mechanisms of HPAs catalysts in the effective degradation of cellulosic biomass are discussed. This review provides more avenues for the development of renewed and robust HPAs for cellulose degradation in the future.