An Insight into the Selective Conversion of Bamboo Biomass to Ethyl Glycosides

Selective conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethyl glycosides and other valued chemicals is an important step for biomass utilization. In this paper, directional liquefaction of bamboo biomass into ethyl glucosides and ethyl xylosides with acid in ethanol media was investigated. The ethyl glycoside distribution was found to depend mainly on the temperature and the amount of H2SO4. Under a shorter reaction time of 30 min at a temperature of 180 degrees C, the maximum yield of ethyl glycoside and its derivatives was 40.86 wt % based on raw materials, with 16.07 wt % ethyl glucosides and 10.11 wt % ethyl xylosides, respectively. Additional studies with glucose and xylose as substrates have been conducted under temperatures of 100-200 degrees C. Ethyl glucosides (xylosides) isomers were favorable during the directional liquefaction process. The quantification of the separated content of ethyl glucosides and ethyl xylosides provides a new paradigm for the use of biomass as a raw material for renewable energy and chemical industries.