Preparation and catalytic performance of biomass-based solid acid catalyst from Pennisetum sinense for cellulose hydrolysis

As a kind of lignocellulosic biomass, Pennisetum sinense (P. sinense) is commonly used as animal feed, fertilizer or papermaking raw materials. Based on the high carbon content and renewability of P. sinense, we explored the possibility and feasibility of using it as catalyst matrix. The catalyst was produced by sulfonation of char obtained from the carbonization of P. sinense at 550 degrees C. The structure of the catalyst was characterized by SEM, BET, XRD, FT-IR, XPS and TGA, and its catalytic performance for the hydrolysis of cellulose was investigated in detail. The highest acidity of the catalyst was 3.79 mmol/g and the maximum glucose yield of 59.92% was achieved under optimized conditions. The catalyst also showed a promising reusability. The glucose yield was 53.01% after 5 cycles and as high as 55.92% when using the regenerated catalyst. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.