1. Influence of Acidic (H3PO4) and Alkaline (NaOH) Additives on the Catalytic Reductive Fractionation of Lignocellulose
- Author
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Sander Van den Bosch, Wouter Schutyser, Bert F. Sels, Christophe M. Courtin, Tom Renders, S.-F. Koelewijn, and Thijs Vangeel
- Subjects
010405 organic chemistry ,Chemistry ,food and beverages ,General Chemistry ,Fractionation ,010402 general chemistry ,Biorefinery ,Heterogeneous catalysis ,01 natural sciences ,Catalysis ,0104 chemical sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Lignin ,Organic chemistry ,Hemicellulose ,Methanol ,Cellulose - Abstract
Reductive catalytic fractionation of lignocellulose is a promising “lignin-first” biorefinery strategy wherein lignin is solvolytically extracted from the cell wall matrix and simultaneously disassembled, resulting in a stable lignin oil and a solid carbohydrate-rich residue. Herein, we report on the different influence of acidic (H3PO4) and alkaline (NaOH) additives on the Pd/C-catalyzed reductive processing of poplar wood in methanol (MeOH). It was found that the addition of small quantities of H3PO4 results in three rather than two product streams, since under acidic conditions both delignification and alcoholysis of hemicellulose are promoted, leaving behind a cellulose-rich pulp. The simultaneous acid-catalyzed fractionation of the carbohydrates into separate cellulose and hemicellulose streams provides opportunities for more efficient downstream conversion, as processing parameters can be tailored to the needs of both streams. Alkaline conditions, on the other hand, also enhance delignification, but...
- Published
- 2016
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