Biomass Characterization of Buddleja davidii: A Potential Feedstock for Biofuel Production

A compositional analysis was performed on Buddleja davidii to determine its general biomass characteristics and provide detailed analysis of the chemical structures of its cellulose and lignin using NMR. B. davidii is a new potential lignocellulosic bioresource for producing bioethanol because it has several attractive agroenergy features. The biomass composition of B. davidii is 30% lignin, 35% cellulose, and 34% hemicellulose. Solid-state CP/MAS C-13 NMR showed that 33% of the cellulose is para-crystalline and 41% is at inaccessible surfaces. Both quantitative C-13 and P-31 NMR were used to examine the structure of lignin. The lignin was determined to be guaiacyl and syringyl with an h:g:s ratio of 0:81:19.