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Lignocellulose Fractionation, Depolymerisation, and Upgrading—from Lignin to Valuable Products

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 7116

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ola Sundman

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Guest Editor

Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
Interests: cellulose MWD; lignin MDW; cellulose derivatives; hemicellulose MWD; biopolymer analytics

Prof. Dr. Carlos Orestes Martin Medina

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor

1. Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, N-2317 Hamar, Norway
2. Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, 90 187 Umeå, Sweden
Interests: lignocellulosic materials; pretreatment; enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose; biorefineries; biochemical conversion of lignocellulose; cellulosic ethanol; biofuels
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lignin is one of the most commonly available types of biopolymers worldwide. However, both chemical structure and properties (e.g., molecular weight) vary widely between species. This, of course, determines the field of use for different lignins. In this Special Issue of Molecules, we will focus on the depolymerization of lignin, different valorisation alternatives, as well as advanced analytical techniques and approaches used for lignin characterization. Additionally, the separation of lignin in a non-destructive way using state-of-the-art pulping technologies is of interest. The fields of interest include, but are not strictly limited to:

Chemistry of biomass pre-treatment and/or lignin fractionation processes;
Lignin fractionation;
Lignin depolymerization;
Catalytic and biocatalytic conversion of lignin to biofuels, platform chemicals and fine chemicals;
Thermal processes for the valorisation of lignin;
Lignin-based polymers and composites;
Lignin-based carbon fibres;
“Lignin-containing” regenerated cellulose/fibres;
Lignocellulose nanofibers (LCNFs);
Lignin derivatives and lignin-derived chemicals;
Food and feed applications of lignin/lignin-derived products;
“Non-destructive” pulping techniques;
Lignin-first lignocellulose biorefining.

Dr. Ola Sundman
Prof. Dr. Carlos Orestes Martin Medina
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

lignin
lignocellulose
fractionation
separation
lignin derivates
specialty lignin
lignin-conserving approaches to pulping
lignin-first biorefining

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3549 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fast and Selective Degradation of Biomass for Xylose, Glucose and Lignin under Mild Conditions

by Shangzhong Zhang, Yi Duan, Changchang Teng, Hongdong Quan, Xiuguo Yang, Hongyan Li, Xiaohe Li and Lifeng Yan

Molecules 2023, 28(8), 3306; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28083306 - 07 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1558

Abstract

The conversion of lignocellulose into valuable chemicals has been recognized as the key technology in green chemistry. However, selective degradation of hemicellulose and cellulose with the production of lignin is still a challenge. Therefore, a two-step process has been developed to degrade corncob into xylose and glucose under mild conditions. At first, the corncob was treated with the lower concentration of zinc chloride aqueous solution (30–55 w%) at 95 °C with a short reaction time (8–12 min) and 30.4 w% (selectivity = 89%) of xylose obtained with a solid residue of the composite of cellulose and lignin. Next, the solid residue was treated with a high concentration of zinc chloride aqueous solution (65–85 w%) at 95 °C for about 10 min, and 29.4 w% (selectivity = 92%) of glucose can be obtained. Combining the two steps, the total yield of xylose is 97%, while glucose is 95%. In addition, high pure lignin can be obtained simultaneously, which was confirmed using HSQC studies. Furthermore, for the solid residue of the first-step reaction, a ternary deep eutectic solvent (DES) (choline chloride/oxalic acid/1,4-butanediol, ChCl/OA/BD) has been used to separate the cellulose and lignin efficiently, and high-quality cellulose (Re-C) and lignin (Re-L) were obtained. Furthermore, it provides a simple method to disassemble the lignocellulose for monosaccharides, lignin, and cellulose. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lignocellulose Fractionation, Depolymerisation, and Upgrading—from Lignin to Valuable Products)

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16 pages, 2615 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Advanced Fractionation of Kraft Lignin by Aqueous Hydrotropic Solutions

by Rita Gaspar, Marcelo Coelho dos Santos Muguet and Pedro Fardim

Molecules 2023, 28(2), 687; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28020687 - 10 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1774

Abstract

Lignin is an underutilized high-potential biopolymer that has been extensively studied over the past few decades. However, lignin still has drawbacks when compared with well-known petroleum-based equivalents, and the production of tailored lignin fractions is highly in demand. In this work, a new method for the fractionation of Lignoboost Kraft Lignin (LKL) is proposed by using two different hydrotropes: sodium xylenesulfonate (SXS) and sodium cumenesulfonate (SCS). The different fractions are obtained by sequentially decreasing the hydrotropic concentration with the addition of water. Four and three different fractions were retrieved from the use of SXS and SCS, respectively. The LKL and respective fractions were analysed, and compared by GPC, FTIR-ATR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, ³¹P NMR, 2D HSQC and SEM. The fractions showed different molecular weights, polydispersity, and amount of functional groups. Our water-based lignin fractionation platform can potentially be combined with different lignin extraction and processing technologies, with the advantage of hydrotrope recycling. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lignocellulose Fractionation, Depolymerisation, and Upgrading—from Lignin to Valuable Products)

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Review

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29 pages, 1037 KiB

Open AccessReview

Lignin Extraction by Using Two-Step Fractionation: A Review

by Medya Hatun Tanis, Ola Wallberg, Mats Galbe and Basel Al-Rudainy

Molecules 2024, 29(1), 98; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules29010098 - 22 Dec 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1673

Abstract

Lignocellulosic biomass represents the most abundant renewable carbon source on earth and is already used for energy and biofuel production. The pivotal step in the conversion process involving lignocellulosic biomass is pretreatment, which aims to disrupt the lignocellulose matrix. For effective pretreatment, a comprehensive understanding of the intricate structure of lignocellulose and its compositional properties during component disintegration and subsequent conversion is essential. The presence of lignin-carbohydrate complexes and covalent interactions between them within the lignocellulosic matrix confers a distinctively labile nature to hemicellulose. Meanwhile, the recalcitrant characteristics of lignin pose challenges in the fractionation process, particularly during delignification. Delignification is a critical step that directly impacts the purity of lignin and facilitates the breakdown of bonds involving lignin and lignin-carbohydrate complexes surrounding cellulose. This article discusses a two-step fractionation approach for efficient lignin extraction, providing viable paths for lignin-based valorization described in the literature. This approach allows for the creation of individual process streams for each component, tailored to extract their corresponding compounds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lignocellulose Fractionation, Depolymerisation, and Upgrading—from Lignin to Valuable Products)

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21 pages, 6040 KiB

Open AccessReview

Analysis of Interactions Occurring during the Pyrolysis of Lignocellulosic Biomass

by Marcin Bielecki and Valentina Zubkova

Molecules 2023, 28(2), 506; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28020506 - 04 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1442

Abstract

This paper presents a review of the recent advances in research on the interactions between the components of lignocellulosic biomass. The literature reports on the effects of interaction between lignocellulosic biomass components, such as cellulose–lignin, lignin–hemicellulose, and hemicellulose–cellulose, were discussed. The results obtained by other researchers were analyzed from the viewpoint of the interactions between the pyrolysis products formed along with the impact effects of the organic and inorganic components present or added to the biomass with regard to the yield and composition of the pyrolysis products. Disagreements about some statements were noted along with the lack of an unequivocal opinion about the directivity of interactions occurring during biomass pyrolysis. Based on the data in the scientific literature, it was suggested that the course of the pyrolysis process of biomass blends can be appropriately directed by changes in the ratio of basic biomass components or by additions of inorganic or organic substances. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lignocellulose Fractionation, Depolymerisation, and Upgrading—from Lignin to Valuable Products)

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