Production of chemicals from marine biomass catalysed by acidic ionic liquids

The past decade has witnessed the rapid development of shell biorefining. Among the green methodologies, the application of ionic liquids (ILs) to catalyze the conversion of marine biomass including chitosan, chitin, and crustacean shells, has attracted increasing attention. However, in comparison with the significant achievements of ILs in the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass, the methodological developments of ILs in marine biomass have been rather limited due to the greater structural complexity of marine biomass. Herein, the conversion of marine biomass to a variety of value-added chemicals (chitosan oligomers, sugars, 3-acetamido-5-acetylfuran, 5-hydroxyfurfural, levulinic acid, etc.) using acidic ILs as catalysts, has been reviewed according to the order of feedstock from simple to complex (chitosan, chitin, and crustacean shells). The different characteristics of ILs for each type of marine biomass have been summarized and compared with lignocellulosic biomass for the first time, with respect to acidity, hydrogen bonding ability and recyclability, demonstrating the structural effect of marine biomass on their conversion.

Automated summary

The rapid development of shell biorefining in the past decade has seen an increasing application of ionic liquids (ILs) for catalyzing the conversion of marine biomass. However, due to the greater structural complexity of marine biomass, the methodological developments of ILs in this area have been limited. This study reviews the conversion of marine biomass using acidic ILs as catalysts, comparing their characteristics with lignocellulosic biomass and showing the structural effect of marine biomass on their conversion.