A strategy for generating value-added aromatic monomers and lignocellulosic nanofibrils simultaneously from lignocellulosic biomass via polyoxometalate-mediated oxidative fractionation

Efficient valorization of natural biomass to valuable fuels, chemicals, or nanomaterials remains exceptionally challenging. In this study, we explored the potential of a polyoxometalate-mediated oxidative fractionation strategy at relatively mild conditions for enabling the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass to specific aromatic monomers and lignocellulosic nanofibrils (LCNFs). After one pot treatment, the lignin in lignocellulosic biomass was entirely removed and disassembled into phenolic products with a yield of 16.0-23.9 wt %, while most of the cellulose in lignocellulosic biomass remained as fibrous water-insoluble solid (WIS). Additionally, a mild disk grinding strategy was proposed to fibrillate cellulose-rich WIS to LCNFs, leading to an economically feasible method compared with using bleached pulp. The diameters of LCNFs could be tailored from 29 to 63 nm by adjusting the number of grinding pass counts. In general, this study proposes a mild valorization strategy to fractionate lignocellulosic biomass into valuable products, including well-defined aromatic monomers and LCNFs.

Automated summary

This study presents an efficient strategy for separating lignocellulosic biomass into valuable products, including phenolic products derived from lignin and LCNFs derived from cellulose. The lignin can be completely removed and disassembled into phenolic products, while most of the cellulose remains as fibrous water-insoluble solid. In addition, a mild disk grinding strategy is proposed to fibrillate cellulose-rich WIS into LCNFs, which can be tailored to different diameters.