Cellulosic-derived bioethanol from Limnocharis flava utilizing alkaline pretreatment

Increasing demand for energy and environmental issues has laid various opportunities for research and development of sustainable, renewable, and environmentally friendly energy. Production of ethanol from biomass has been the focus of researchers due to its feasible characteristics in meeting global energy demands. Moreover, the second-generation ethanol or the ethanol derived from lignocellulosic biomass has been favored due to its diverse biomass resources such as wood, grass, agricultural residue, and municipal waste (newspaper). Hence, Limnocharis flava, an aquatic plant and considered a weed, was investigated and converted into bioethanol. For optimization, the lignocellulosic biomass was examined by various alkaline treatments (0% alkaline, 1% CaO, 2% CaO, and 2% NaOH) to distinguish the suitable pretreatment that can break down lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose to form sugars that can be fermented to produce bioethanol. Significantly, 1% CaO showed favorable results of ethanol yield of 6.31 +/- 0.72 g/L with a total and reducing sugars of 50.81 g/L and 28.88 g/L, respectively. Thus, it can be concluded that bioethanol can be derived from L. flava.

Automated summary

Increasing demand for energy and environmental concerns have created opportunities for research in sustainable, renewable, and environmentally friendly energy sources. The focus on producing ethanol from biomass has led researchers to investigate the potential of converting the aquatic plant Limnocharis flava into bioethanol, with promising results obtained through alkaline treatments.