Birch wood pre-hydrolysis vs pulp post-hydrolysis for the production of xylan-based compounds and cellulose for viscose application.

Hydrothermal treatments of birch wood and kraft pulp were compared for their ability to extract the xylan and produce viscose-grade pulp. Water post-hydrolysis of kraft pulp produced a high-purity cellulosic pulp with lower viscosity but higher cellulose yield than traditional pre-hydrolysis kraft pulping of wood. Post-hydrolysis of pulp also increased the crystallite dimensions and degree of crystallinity in cellulose, and promoted a higher extent of fibril aggregation.

Structural analysis of Ioncell-F fibres from birch wood.

Quite recently, the Ioncell-F process, a novel and promising Lyocell fibre process, has been developed. The ionic liquid 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.

deacetylation of xylan affects lignin properties and improves saccharification of aspen wood.

Background: Lignocellulose from fast growing hardwood species is a preferred source of polysaccharides for advanced biofuels and "green" chemicals. However, the extensive acetylation of hardwood xylan hinders lignocellulose saccharification by obstructing enzymatic xylan hydrolysis and causing inhibitory acetic acid concentrations during microbial sugar fermentation. To optimize lignocellulose for cost-effective saccharification and biofuel production, an acetyl xylan esterase AXE1 from was introduced into aspen and targeted to cell walls.

Spatially-localized bench-top X-ray scattering reveals tissue-specific microfibril orientation in Moso bamboo.

Background: Biological materials have a complex, hierarchical structure, with vital structural features present at all size scales, from the nanoscale to the macroscale. A method that can connect information at multiple length scales has great potential to reveal novel information. This article presents one such method with an application to the bamboo culm wall.

Effects of phosphonium-based ionic liquids on phospholipid membranes studied by small-angle X-ray scattering.

The effects of ionic liquids on model phospholipid membranes were studied by small-angle X-ray scattering, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential measurements. Multilamellar 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine liposomes and large unilamellar vesicles composed of l-α-phosphatidylcholine (eggPC) and l-α-phosphatidylglycerol (eggPG) (80:20mol%) or eggPC, eggPG, and cholesterol (60:20:20mol%) were used as biomimicking membrane models. The effects of the phosphonium-based ionic liquids: tributylmethylphosphonium acetate, trioctylmethylphosphonium acetate, tributyl(tetradecyl)-phosphonium acetate, and tributyl(tetradecyl)-phosphonium chloride, were compared to those of 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium acetate.

Monitoring the recrystallisation of amorphous xylitol using Raman spectroscopy and wide-angle X-ray scattering.

In this paper we present a fast model system for monitoring the recrystallization of quench-cooled amorphous xylitol using Raman spectroscopy and wide-angle X-ray scattering. The use of these two methods enables comparison between surface and bulk crystallization. Non-ordered mesoporous silica micro-particles were added to the system in order to alter the rate of crystallization of the amorphous xylitol.

High-Strength Composite Fibers from Cellulose-Lignin Blends Regenerated from Ionic Liquid Solution.

Composite fibres that contain cellulose and lignin were produced from ionic liquid solutions by dry-jet wet spinning. Eucalyptus dissolving pulp and organosolv/kraft lignin blends in different ratios were dissolved in the ionic liquid 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.

Dissolution enthalpies of cellulose in ionic liquids.

In this work, interactions between cellulose and ionic liquids were studied calorimetrically and by optical microscopy. Two novel ionic liquids (1,5-Diazabicyclo[4.3.