Experimentally designed corn biomass fractionation to obtain lignin nanoparticles and fermentable sugars

Author(s)

Camargos, Camilla H. M. ^[1] ; Silva, Rodrigo A. P. ^[1] ; Csordas, Yara ^[2] ; Silva, Lucimara L. ^{[1, 3]} ; Rezende, Camila A. ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Chem, Phys Chem Dept, UNICAMP, POB 6154, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] CNPEM, Brazilian Natl Nanotechnol Lab LNNano, 1000 Giuseppe Maximo Scolfaro St, BR-13083100 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[3] Fed Technol Univ Parana UTFPR, Pioneiros Rd 3131, BR-86036370 Londrina, PR - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS; v. 140, NOV 15 2019.
• Web of Science Citations: 2

Abstract

Pretreatment steps carefully designed are essential to achieve a more integral and profitable use of plant biomasses in their conversion into building blocks to produce bioethanol and biomaterials. In this work, lignin extraction from corn biomass was optimized using a design of experiments (DOE) applied to a sequential acidalkali pretreatment, varying temperature, time, and NaOH concentration in the alkali step. Selective extraction of lignin allowed the preparation of lignin nanoparticles, at the same time that it favored glucose release by hydrolysis of the cellulosic matrix. According to DOE results, alkali concentration was the most relevant factor for lignin removal and 2% NaOH, at 90 to 95 degrees C for 20 to 35 min would be enough to achieve less than 10% of residual lignin in the solid. These conditions were experimentally validated and resulted in a hydrolysis yield of 87.4 +/- 7.3% and in a liquor containing approximately 50% of the initial lignin content. A great quantity of this neat lignin (92.9 +/- 6.3%) was recovered by non-solvent addition as spherical nanoparticles, with a diameter smaller than 100 nm, and stable in a large pH range (5 to 11). Therefore, the optimization presented herewith resulted in lignin valorization by the suitable fabrication of value-added lignin nanoparticles, concomitantly to improved hydrolysis yields of cellulose aiming at bioethanol production. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/13602-7 - Study on strategies to allow the integral use of lignocellulosic biomass
• Grantee: Camila Alves de Rezende
• Support Opportunities: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Regular Program Grants
• FAPESP's process: 18/23769-1 - Preparation and applications of nanostructures from plant biomass
• Grantee: Camila Alves de Rezende
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 14/06011-7 - Study of the degradation of corn residues to the production of second-generation ethanol
• Grantee: Rodrigo Aparecido Pena da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation