Simultaneous saccharification of hemicellulose and cellulose of corncob in a one-pot system using catalysis of carbon based solid acid from lignosulfonate

The drive towards sustainable chemistry has inspired the development of active solid acids as catalysts and ionic liquids as solvents for an efficient release of sugars from lignocellulosic biomass for future biorefinery practices. Carbon-based solid acid (SI-C-S-H2O2) prepared from sodium lignosulfonate, a waste of the paper industry, was used with water or ionic liquid to hydrolyze corncob in this study. The effects of various reaction parameters were investigated in different solvent systems. The highest xylose yield of 83.4% and hemicellulose removal rate of 90.6% were obtained in an aqueous system at 130 & DEG;C for 14 h. After the pretreatment, cellulase was used for the hydrolysis of residue and the enzymatic digestibility of 92.6% was obtained. Following these two hydrolysis steps in the aqueous systems, the highest yield of total reducing sugar (TRS) was obtained at 88.1%. Further, one-step depolymerization and saccharification of corncob hemicellulose and cellulose to reducing sugars in an IL-water system catalyzed by SI-C-S-H2O2 was conducted at 130 & DEG;C for 10 h, with a high TRS yield of 75.1% obtained directly. After recycling five times, the solid acid catalyst still showed a high catalytic activity for sugar yield in different systems, providing a green and effective method for lignocellulose degradation. Simultaneous saccharification of hemicellulose and cellulose of corncob in a one-pot system.

Automated summary

The development of active solid acids and ionic liquids for efficient sugar release from lignocellulosic biomass has been driven by the goal of sustainable chemistry. In this study, a carbon-based solid acid (SI-C-S-H2O2) derived from a waste of the paper industry was used with water or an ionic liquid for the hydrolysis of corncob. The highest yields of xylose and removal rate of hemicellulose were achieved in an aqueous system, while a high total reducing sugar yield was obtained in the IL-water system. The catalyst showed sustained high activity after multiple recycling.