The contribution of G-layer glucose in Salix clones for biofuels: comparative enzymatic and HPLC analysis of stem cross sections.

Background: Interest on the use of short rotation willow as a lignocellulose resource for liquid transport fuels has increased greatly over the last 10 years. Investigations have shown the advantages and potential of using Salix spp. for such fuels but have also emphasized the wide variations existing in the compositional structure between different species and genotypes in addition to their effects on overall yield.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of the gelatinous layer in tension wood of Salix varieties as a measure of accessible cellulose for biofuels.

Background: Salix (willow) species represent an important source of bioenergy and offer great potential for producing biofuels. Salix spp. like many hardwoods, produce tension wood (TW) characterized by special fibres (G-fibres) that produce a cellulose-rich lignin-free gelatinous (G) layer on the inner fibre cell wall.

Genetic variation of biomass recalcitrance in a natural (L.) population.

Background: spp. are high-productivity crops potentially used for lignocellulosic biofuels such as bioethanol. In general, pretreatment is needed to facilitate the enzymatic depolymerization process.

Biobased and Sustainable Alternative Route to Long-Chain Cellulose Esters.

Fatty acid cellulose esters (FACEs), which have been identified recently as sustainable film materials, are conventionally synthesized by the use of the reaction with acyl chloride/anhydride pyridine in the presence of LiCl/N,N-dimethylacetamide. In this study, we have developed a new synthetic route to FACEs using a vinyl ester of long chain fatty acid, which is an excellent biobased and highly reactive reagent, for the functionalization of cellulose. The developed method involves the synthesis of the long aliphatic fatty acid vinyl ester via a transition-metal-catalyzed transvinylation reaction between vinyl acetate and the fatty acid, followed by its subsequent reaction with cellulose to yield FACEs.