Valorization of Enzymatic Hydrolysis Residues from Corncob into Lignin-Containing Cellulose Nanofibrils and Lignin Nanoparticles.

As a kind of biomass waste, enzymatic hydrolysis residues (EHRs) are conventionally burned or just discarded, resulting in environmental pollution and low economic benefits. In this study, EHRs of corncob residues (CCR) were used to produce high lignin-containing cellulose nanofibrils (LCNFs) and lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) through a facile approach. The LCNFs and LNPs with controllable chemical compositions and properties were produced by tuning the enzymolysis time of CCR and the followed homogenization. The morphology, thermal stability, chemical and crystalline structure, and dispersibility of the resultant LCNFs and LNPs were further comprehensively investigated. This work not only promotes the production of lignocellulose-based nanomaterials but also provides a promising utilization pathway for EHRs.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
(Copyright © 2021 Xu, Du, Wang, Zhang, Wu, Liu, Yu, Zhang, Si, Choi and Li.)