Dialkylimidazolium ionic liquids hydrolyze cellulose under mild conditions.

ChemSusChem

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1462, USA.

Published: August 2012

The average molecular weight of cellulose derived from filter paper, poplar, and Avicel decreases by up to two orders of magnitude during typical mild dissolution protocols using ionic liquids (ILs). About an order of magnitude greater cellulose depolymerization rate during ionic liquid dissolution occurs in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BmimCl) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (EmimCl) compared to 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EmimOAc), and, unintuitively, greater IL purity results in greater cellulose depolymerization. The following data support the mechanism of cellulose hydrolysis to be acid-catalyzed: (i) increase in number of reducing ends following cellulose dissolution in IL; (ii) addition of N-methylimidazolium base suppresses cellulose depolymerization during dissolution in IL; (iii) small amounts of glucose and traces of hydroxymethyl furfural are present following cellulose dissolution in IL. The acid is presumably synthesized via IL decomposition to generate a carbene and proton, consistent with hypothesis derived from molecular modeling. Titration experiments conducted here measure the amount of acid synthesized to be in the 4000 ppm range for high-purity BmimCl IL during mild processing conditions for cellulose dissolution. This data is relevant for understanding the extent of IL decomposition during biomass dissolution.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201100803DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

cellulose depolymerization
12
cellulose dissolution
12
cellulose
9
ionic liquids
8
greater cellulose
8
dissolution
7
dialkylimidazolium ionic
4
liquids hydrolyze
4
hydrolyze cellulose
4
cellulose mild
4

Similar Publications

The microbiota of cork and yellow stain as a model for a new route for the synthesis of chlorophenols and chloroanisoles from the microbial degradation of suberin and/or lignin.

Microbiome

January 2025

Instituto de Investigación de La Viña y El Vino, Escuela de Ingeniería Agraria, Universidad de León, Avenida de Portugal, 41, León, 24009, Spain.

Article Synopsis
  • Cork is primarily used for wine bottle stoppers, but it can contain 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, which causes a musty odor that negatively affects wine quality and leads to financial losses.
  • The presence of yellow stain in cork indicates a degradation linked to higher microbial populations, particularly filamentous fungi that break down lignin, and this microbiota contributes to the formation of chlorophenols and chloroanisoles.
  • Research identified specific fungal and bacterial species associated with yellow stain and demonstrated that certain strains can convert p-hydroxybenzoate into phenol, which can then be chlorinated, potentially leading to the development of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Depth heterogeneity of lignin-degrading microbiome and organic carbon processing in mangrove sediments.

NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes

January 2025

School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Marine Synthetic Ecology Research Center, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, 510006, Guangzhou, China.

Mangrove ecosystems are globally recognized for their blue carbon (C) sequestration capacity. Lignocellulosic detritus constitutes the primary C input to mangrove sediments, but the microbial processes involved in its bioprocessing remain unclear. Using lignocellulosic analysis and metagenomic sequencing across five 100-cm sediment cores, we found a high proportion of lignin (95.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Preparation of Cello-Oligosaccharides by Precise-Controlled Enzymatic Depolymerization and Its Amphiphilic Functionalization for High-Oil Load Emulsification.

J Agric Food Chem

January 2025

Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Technical Science, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000Aarhus,Denmark.

Cello-oligosaccharides (COS) are gaining great attention for their prebiotic-like properties, e.g., boosting gut health by promoting beneficial bacteria and improving digestion.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

β-glucosidases (BGLs) are key enzymes in the depolymerization of cellulosic biomass, catalyzing the conversion of cello-oligosaccharides into glucose. This conversion is pivotal for enhancing the production of second-generation ethanol or other value-added products in biorefineries. However, the process is often cost-prohibitive due to the high enzyme loadings required.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

International Symposium on Ruminant Physiology: Current perspective on rumen microbial ecology to improve fiber digestibility.

J Dairy Sci

December 2024

Centre for Microbiome Research, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia; Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway; Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.

Although cellulose has received the most attention, further research is needed for a complete comprehension of other fiber components in forage and nonforage fiber sources corresponding with the array of enzymes needed for depolymerization and resulting fermentation of sugars. The carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) have been described in detail herein, although new information will no doubt accumulate in the future. Known CAZymes are attributed to taxa that are easily detected via 16S rRNA gene profiling techniques, but such approaches have limitations.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!