Fractionation of beech wood cell walls into digestible cellulose-rich residues and photoluminescent lignin-rich precipitates via semi-flow hot-compressed water treatment with 2-naphthol.

Utilization of cell wall components of woody biomass has attracted attention as alternatives for fossil fuels towards a sustainable society. A semi-flow hydrothermal treatment was used to fractionate the beech (Fagus crenata) wood into cellulose-rich residues and lignin-rich precipitates. The enzymatic saccharification of the cellulose component in the residue was enhanced significantly because the preferential delignification from the secondary wall increased enzyme accessibility. Meanwhile, the precipitated lignin was soluble in organic solvent and exhibited clear photoluminescence (PL) according to the chromophore distances. Furthermore, the carbocation scavenger, 2-naphthol, was impregnated into the beech wood to inhibit the lignin re-condensation reaction. As a result, the digestibility of the cellulose component in the residue increased because unproductive enzymatic binding of lignin and lignin re-condensation were both suppressed. In addition, the PL intensity of the precipitates was significantly enhanced, indicating that 2-naphthol bound to the lignin molecules influenced the PL properties. Overall, fractionation using a semi-flow hydrothermal treatment efficiently uses both polysaccharides and lignin, especially the impregnation of 2-naphthol provided advantages for both saccharides and lignin. Monosaccharides can be converted into valuable products via a sugar platform, and the lignin precipitates exhibit useful PL properties that give them significant potential as a feedstock for numerous valuable materials, such as fluorescence reagents and spectral conversion agents. The results presented herein provide insights that are crucial for the comprehensive utilization of cell wall components for sustainable biorefinery systems.

Furan and benzene ring formation in cellulose char: the roles of 5-HMF and reducing ends.

The authors previously proposed that 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) can be produced from the reducing ends of cellulose as a key intermediate during carbonization. The present work investigated the mechanisms by which furan and benzene rings are formed in cellulose char based on carbonization at 280 °C using 13C-labeled 5-HMF together with 13C-labeled glucose (as a model for the cellulose reducing ends). Glycerol was added to the 5-HMF to prevent the formation of stable glassy polymers. The resulting char was subjected to pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (764 °C, 5 s hold time) and the incorporation of 13C in furan-, phenol-, benzofuran- and benzene-type fragments was assessed. The apparent formation mechanisms include a direct rearrangement of the six carbons of 5-HMF to phenols, Diels-Alder reactions of furan rings with double bonds to give benzofurans and a more random process involving reactive fragments producing benzene rings. On the basis of these results, the roles of 5-HMF and reducing ends during cellulose carbonization are discussed herein.

Microwave Effect in Hydrolysis of Levoglucosan with a Solid Acid Catalyst for Pyrolysis-Based Cellulose Saccharification.

Pyrolysis-based saccharification consisting of fast pyrolysis followed by hydrolysis of the resulting anhydrosugars such as levoglucosan is a promising method for converting cellulosic biomass into glucose that can be used for producing biofuels and biochemicals. In the present study, hydrolysis of levoglucosan was evaluated in water with a polystyrene sulfonic acid resin (a solid acid catalyst) by heating under microwave irradiation or in an oil bath at 95 °C-120 °C. When the equilibrium temperature of the solution was the same, the conversion rate of levoglucosan was greater under microwave irradiation than in an oil bath. Model experiments indicate that the sulfonyl groups of the solid acid catalyst were selectively heated by microwave irradiation. The temperature of the reaction solution in the vicinity of the catalyst was locally higher than the equilibrium temperature of the solution, which enabled hydrolysis to proceed efficiently.

Solubilization of sulfuric acid lignin by ball mill treatment with excess amounts of organic compounds.

In order to improve the solubility of sulfuric acid lignin (SL) in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), dry ball milling with excess amounts of additives such as l-tartaric acid was performed. Although the ball-milled SL without any additives was not soluble in DMF, when the SL was ball milled with an excessive amount of l-tartaric acid (the concentration of SL to be 0.1%), the dispersion and solubility of SL in DMF detected by the dynamic light scattering was greatly improved. Furthermore, the DMF solution showed clear photoluminescence, indicating that the distance between luminophores was modulated due to dispersion on the nanoscale. The structural analysis of the isolated lignin showed a decrease in molecular weight and the introduction of carboxylic acid groups. In other words, the introduction of hydrophilic functional groups into the lignin and simultaneously decrease in the molecular weight due to the cleavage of lignin linkages is considered to result in good dispersion in DMF on both the micro and macro scales. Similar effects were observed with the other chemicals containing several hydrophilic groups such as citric acid, d-glucose, and polyacrylic acid. Furthermore, this method is applicable to various lignins other than SL, and it is expected to utilize unused lignin resources.

Influence of Proteins on the Lignin Decomposition Behavior of Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) Wood by Supercritical Methanol Treatment.

The effect of adding protein on the decomposition behavior of lignin in Japanese cedar under supercritical methanol conditions (270 °C/27 MPa) was studied. The Klason method was used to detect the lignin content in the insoluble residue following to a 30 min treatment. Adding either an animal (bovine serum albumin) or plant (soy) protein enhanced delignification from 50 to 65% of the lignin-based wt %. This result was attributed to enhanced lignin depolymerization owing to inhibited lignin recondensation and/or the suppressed formation of polysaccharide-derived char via reactions between the protein and polysaccharides. Although the solubilization of lignin was promoted and the yield of lignin-derived low-molecular-weight compounds increased, the selectivity of major monomers such as coniferyl alcohol (CA) and γ-methylated CA decreased. The addition of proteins has a substantial impact on the decomposition behavior of cell wall components under supercritical methanol conditions. This information provides insights into the use of protein-rich lignocelluloses.

Stable Oligomer Formation from Lignin by Pyrolysis of Softwood in an Aprotic Solvent with a Hydrogen Donor.

Pyrolysis of Japanese cedar wood in diphenoxybenzene (an aprotic solvent) with a hydrogen donor was investigated between 270-380 °C. Under these conditions, re-condensation via radical and quinone methide intermediates was efficiently suppressed and a thermally stable oligomer was obtained. The oligomer was stable even after the treatment time was extended. Yields of lignin-derived products at 270 °C were limited to approximately 20 wt %, but increased to >80 wt % (lignin basis) at the higher temperatures. The oligomer yield increased directly with the extent of the cellulose degradation at 350 °C. Based on the NMR analysis results, the ether bonds in lignin were largely cleaved, but condensed linkages such as ß-aryl and ß-ß and 5-5' types remained. The γ-hydroxypropyl group was identified as a typical side chain, formed by hydrogenation of the double bond of a coniferyl alcohol-type structure.

Tunable Light Emission from Lignin: Various Photoluminescence Properties Controlled by the Lignocellulosic Species, Extraction Method, Solvent, and Polymer.

This report describes the tunable light emission from lignin, which was achieved by carefully selecting the lignocellulosic species, extraction method, solvent, and polymer. Lignins comprising various taxonomic species with distinct primary structures exhibited diverse photoluminescence (PL) intensities and spectral patterns. Investigations probing how the solvent affects the PL properties revealed that the PL quenching phenomenon originated from the decreasing distance between aromatic moieties (luminophores). Therefore, polymers can play key roles as media to modulate the distance between luminophores, and the PL intensity can be enhanced by employing a relatively stiff polymer. In terms of the emission color, the PL spectral pattern can be tuned by changing the lignin primary structures or by deprotonating the phenolic hydroxyl groups. By modulating these influencing factors, various light emissions were obtained from lignins in solutions and transparent solid materials.

Topochemistry of the Delignification of Japanese Beech (Fagus crenata) Wood by Supercritical Methanol Treatment.

The topochemistry of Japanese beech (Fagus crenata) wood delignification was evaluated in this study following a supercritical methanol treatment (270 °C, 27 MPa). Ultraviolet microscopic analysis of the insoluble residue revealed that the lignin in the secondary wall was easily decomposed and removed because of the preferential cleavage of ether-type linkages. In contrast, the middle lamella lignin was initially resistant to supercritical methanol but eventually decomposed and was removed. In addition, UV-absorbing secondary products formed selectively inside the parenchyma cells. Results from the supercritical methanol treatment of demineralized beech wood indicated that inorganic substances in the lumen of parenchyma affected the formation of these secondary products, thus leading to an overestimation of the residual lignin. Therefore, the topochemistry of delignification was more precisely evaluated when using demineralized beech wood.

Hydroxymethylfurfural as an Intermediate of Cellulose Carbonization.

Invited for this month's cover is the group of Haruo Kawamoto at Kyoto University (Japan). The cover picture shows the carbonization pathway of cellulose via 5-hydroxymethylfurfural as an important intermediate. Thermochemical conversion is one of the promising technologies to convert cellulose, which is the main component of lignocellulosic biomass, into biofuels and biochemicals. Understanding the molecular mechanism of thermal degradation of cellulose is important for developing efficient conversion techniques by controlling the reaction. Read the full text of their Full Paper at 10.1002/open.202000314.

Hydroxymethylfurfural as an Intermediate of Cellulose Carbonization.

Hydrogen bond donor solvents such as aromatic solvents inhibit the secondary degradation of cellulose-derived primary pyrolysis products. In a previous study, we found that the formation of solid carbonized products was completely inhibited during cellulose pyrolysis in aromatic solvents, with 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) recovered in certain yields instead. This indicated that 5-HMF is an intermediate in cellulose carbonization. To confirm this hypothesis, the thermal reactivity of 5-HMF was investigated. At 280 °C, pure 5-HMF polymerized into a hard glassy substance through OH group elimination, but further conversion was slow. When pyrolyzed in the presence of glycerol, a model of coexisting primary pyrolysis products from cellulose, a coupling reaction proceeded. Reactions characteristic of cellulose carbonization then occurred, including the formation of acidic groups and benzene-type structures in the solid products. These results confirmed the above hypothesis. The molecular mechanism of cellulose carbonization is discussed, focusing on the crystalline nature.

Carbonization of cellulose cell wall evaluated with ultraviolet microscopy.

This is the first study of cellulose carbonization in the interior of cell walls. Cotton cellulose was pyrolyzed under nitrogen or in aromatic solvents (benzophenone, diphenyl sulfide, and 1,3-diphenoxybenzene) at 280 °C, and cross sections of the cell walls were examined using ultraviolet (UV) microscopy. After pyrolysis under nitrogen, UV absorption caused by carbonization appeared inside the cell walls. The absorptivity of the cell interiors was homogeneous and slightly lower than that of the cell surfaces. The UV spectra had maximal absorption at ca. 250 nm. The spectra of model compounds and Py-GC/MS analysis data suggested that furanic and polycyclic aromatic structures were present in the carbonized products. The use of aromatic solvents decreased the yields of solid carbonized products and the UV absorptivity, which remained homogeneous throughout the cross sections. The mechanism of cellulose carbonization in cell walls is discussed along with the influence of aromatic solvents.

Gas-Phase Reactions of Glyceraldehyde and 1,3-Dihydroxyacetone as Models for Levoglucosan Conversion during Biomass Gasification.

Levoglucosan, the major intermediate in wood gasification, is decomposed selectively to C1/C2 fragments at 550-600 °C. Kinetic analyses suggest that radical chain mechanisms with the involvement of short-lived carbonyl intermediates explain the lower production of larger fragments. To address this hypothesis, the gas-phase reactivities of glyceraldehyde (Gald), 1,3-dihydroxyacetone (DHA), and glycerol, as simple C3 model compounds, were compared at 400-800 °C under N2 flow at residence times of 0.9-1.4 s. Retro-aldol fragmentation and dehydration proceeded for the pyrolysis of Gald/DHA at 400 °C, far below the 600 °C decomposition point of glycerol. Pyrolysis of Gald/DHA generated exclusively syngas (CO and H2). On the basis of the results of theoretical calculations, the effects of carbonyl intermediates on reactivity were explained by postulating uni- and bimolecular reactions, although the bimolecular reactions became less effective at elevated temperatures.

Reactivity of cellulose reducing end in pyrolysis as studied by methyl glucoside-impregnation.

For better understanding of the roles of cellulose reducing ends during thermal degradation of cellulose and wood, cellulose samples impregnated with methyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside (GlcßOMe), a simple non-reducing sugar model, were pyrolyzed under N2 at relatively low temperatures of 200-280 °C. By the impregnation, cellulose was rather stabilized against discoloration and weight-loss through converting the reducing ends into the glycosides with GlcßOMe. Alternatively, polymerization and discoloration of GlcßOMe were accelerated in the presence of cellulose. A mechanism via reducing sugars as reactive intermediates formed through hydrolysis is proposed to explain these phenomena. These information would be useful to understand the interactions between cellulose and hemicellulose in wood cell wall as well as the role of the reducing ends in cellulose thermal degradation.

Processes forming Gas, Tar, and Coke in Cellulose Gasification from Gas-Phase Reactions of Levoglucosan as Intermediate.

The gas-phase pyrolysis of levoglucosan (LG), the major intermediate species during cellulose gasification, was studied experimentally over the temperature range of 400-900 °C. Gaseous LG did not produce any dehydration products, which include coke, furans, and aromatic substances, although these are characteristic products of the pyrolysis of molten LG. Alternatively, at >500 °C, gaseous LG produced only fragmentation products, such as noncondensable gases and condensable C1 -C3 fragments, as intermediates during noncondensable gas formation. Therefore, it was determined that secondary reactions of gaseous LG can result in the clean (tar- and coke-free) gasification of cellulose. Cooling of the remaining LG in the gas phase caused coke formation by the transition of the LG to the molten state. The molecular mechanisms that govern the gas- and molten-phase reactions of LG are discussed in terms of the acid catalyst effect of intermolecular hydrogen bonding to promote the molten-phase dehydration reactions.

Thermal glycosylation and degradation reactions occurring at the reducing ends of cellulose during low-temperature pyrolysis.

Thermal glycosylation and degradation reactions of cellulose (Avicel PH-101) were studied in the presence or absence of alcohols (glycerol, mannitol, 1,2,6-hexanetriol, 3-phenoxy-1,2-propanediol, and 1-tetradecanol) under N(2) at 60-280°C. In the presence of glycerol (heating time, 10 min), the reducing ends were converted into glycosides when the temperature of the glycerol was >140°C without the addition of any catalysts. A temperature of 140°C is close to that required for the initiation of thermal polymerization (glycosylation). Although the conversion was only around 20% in the range of 140-180°C, the reactivity increased above 200-240°C where the thermal expansion of cellulose crystals is reported to become significant. Finally, all reducing ends were converted into glycosides at 260°C. Such heterogeneous reactivity likely arose from the lower reactivities of the reducing ends in the crystalline region due to their lower accessibility to glycerol, although the reactivity in the non-crystalline region was similar to that of glucose. Alcohols that have a lower OH/C ratio did not react with the reducing ends, suggesting that the hydrophilicity of the alcohol was critical for the glycosylation reaction to proceed. The glycosylated cellulose samples were found to be significantly stabilized against pyrolytic coloration. The results of neat cellulose pyrolysis indicated that two competitive reactions, thermal glycosylation and degradation, formed a dark-colored substance at the reducing ends while the internal glucose units in the cellulose were comparatively stable.

Thermal degradation of methyl beta-D-glucoside. a theoretical study of plausible reaction mechanisms.

Thermal conversion of methyl beta-d-glucoside to levoglucosan was studied with the MP4//DFT(B3LYP) method. The first step is conformational change of the reactant to (1)C(4) from (4)C(1). The second step is intramolecular nucleophilic substitution at the anomeric C1, which occurs via one step without oxacarbenium ion intermediate. The DeltaG(0)() value (52.5 kcal/mol) is smaller than the C1-O1 bond energy, indicating the direct homolysis mechanism is clearly ruled out. Bimolecular reaction also occurs with smaller activation energy via the similar transition state.

Inhibition of acid-catalyzed depolymerization of cellulose with boric acid in non-aqueous acidic media.

Boric acid inhibited the acid-catalyzed depolymerization of cellulose in sulfolane, a non-aqueous medium, at high temperature. Formation of the dehydration products such as levoglucosenone, furfural, and 5-hydroxymethyl furfural were also effectively inhibited. Similar inhibition was observed for cellooligosaccharides and starch, although the glucosidic bonds in methyl glucopyranosides and methyl cellobioside were cleaved to form alpha-d-glucofuranose cyclic 1,2:3,5-bisborate.

Solid-state hydrolysis of cellulose and methyl alpha- and beta-D-glucopyranosides in presence of magnesium chloride.

Solid-state hydrolysis proceeded with cellulose and methyl alpha- and beta-D-glucopyranosides in the presence of hydrated magnesium chloride. This reaction was effective even at >100 degrees C since the hydrated water, which is held by MgCl(2) up to >200 degrees C, is utilized as a nucleophile. Excess water made this reaction ineffective due to the competition between water and sugar oxygen atoms in coordinating with Mg(2+), a Lewis acid. Consequently, this hydrolysis reaction is characteristic of solid-state reactions.

Thermal stabilization of levoglucosan in aromatic substances.

Thermal degradation of levoglucosan (1,6-anhydro-beta-D-glucopyranose) was shown to be substantially suppressed in the presence of some aromatic compounds under the conditions of N2/240-340 degrees C/15 min. This stabilization effect is also discussed with CH-pi interaction between levoglucosan and pi-electrons in the benzene ring.