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Bioproduct Production from Biomass and Residual Resources

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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 (15 February 2022) | Viewed by 7606

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ofei Daku Mante

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Guest Editor

RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
Interests: biomass conversion; biofuels; bioproducts; downstream processing; biorefinery; circular economy concepts; heterogeneous catalysis; renewable energy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bioproducts such as biochemicals and biomaterials can serve as renewable alternatives to many of the products derived from petroleum or natural gas. Also, bioproducts can enable the transition to the emerging circular bioeconomy by making biorefineries more economical and sustainable. Over the years, several innovative valorization processes have been developed to leverage the inherent functionalized nature of biomass, agricultural and forest residue, and bio-waste to produce biobased chemicals which are not easily synthesized from petroleum. However, there are challenges that need to be addressed to facilitate commercialization of new, sustainable bioproduct technologies. These include feedstock cost, conversion efficiency, product selectivity, optimized separation and purification processes and product testing. Therefore, there is a strong need for development and implementation of the most resource efficient conversion technologies that make bio-based products 1) cost-competitive, 2) compatible with existing infrastructure/industrial processes and 3) attain market acceptance.

This special issue is focused on advances in biomass thermochemical conversion processes that improves the economic feasibility and sustainability of making bio-based products with desirable properties that could substitute petroleum-derived fuels, chemicals, and materials. Original research and review articles on the listed areas of interest below are welcome.

Innovations in Direct Liquefaction Technologies (Pyrolysis, HTL, Solvolysis)
Advances in Upgrading and Utilization of By-products from Direct Liquefaction Technologies
Synthesis of High Value Bioproducts/Biochemicals/Biopolymers
Advances in Bioseparation Technologies
Application Evaluation of Bio-based Products
Integrated Biorefinery Concepts
Valorization of Opportunity Feedstocks (MSW, Lignin, Organic Waste, and etc)

Dr. Ofei Daku Mante
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

Lignocellulosic Biomass Valorization
Chemical and Thermochemical Conversion
Biochemicals
Biopolymers
Biomaterials
Downstream processing
Bioseparation
Biorefinery
Techno-economic analysis
Life-cycle assessment
Circularity

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 720 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects and Economic Sustainability of Biochar Application on Corn Production in a Mediterranean Climate

by Juan Luis Aguirre, María Teresa Martín, Sergio González and Manuel Peinado

Molecules 2021, 26(11), 3313; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26113313 - 31 May 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2315

Abstract

The effects of two types of biochar on corn production in the Mediterranean climate during the growing season were analyzed. The two types of biochar were obtained from pyrolysis of Pinus pinaster. B1 was fully pyrolyzed with 55.90% organic carbon, and B2 was medium pyrolyzed with 23.50% organic carbon. B1 and B2 were supplemented in the soil of 20 plots (1 m²) at a dose of 4 kg/m². C1 and C2 (10 plots each) served as control plots. The plots were automatically irrigated and fertilizer was not applied. The B1-supplemented plots exhibited a significant 84.58% increase in dry corn production per square meter and a 93.16% increase in corn wet weight (p << 0.001). Corn production was no different between B2-supplemented, C1, and C2 plots (p > 0.01). The weight of cobs from B1-supplemented plots was 62.3%, which was significantly higher than that of cobs from C1 and C2 plots (p < 0.01). The grain weight increased significantly by 23% in B1-supplemented plots (p < 0.01) and there were no differences between B2-supplemented, C1, and C2 plots. At the end of the treatment, the soil of the B1-supplemented plots exhibited increased levels of sulfate, nitrate, magnesium, conductivity, and saturation percentage. Based on these results, the economic sustainability of this application in agriculture was studied at a standard price of €190 per ton of biochar. Amortization of this investment can be achieved in 5.52 years according to this cost. Considering the fertilizer cost savings of 50% and the water cost savings of 25%, the amortization can be achieved in 4.15 years. If the price of biochar could be reduced through the CO₂ emission market at €30 per ton of non-emitted CO₂, the amortization can be achieved in 2.80 years. Biochar markedly improves corn production in the Mediterranean climate. However, the amortization time must be further reduced, and enhanced production must be guaranteed over the years with long term field trials so that the product is marketable or other high value-added crops must be identified. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioproduct Production from Biomass and Residual Resources)

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14 pages, 3743 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Equilibrium and Kinetic Study of Anionic and Cationic Pollutants Remediation by Limestone–Chitosan–Alginate Nanocomposite from Aqueous Solution

by Inas A. Ahmed, Ahmed H. Ragab, Mohamed A. Habila, Taghrid S. Alomar and Enas H. Aljuhani

Molecules 2021, 26(9), 2586; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26092586 - 29 Apr 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1742

Abstract

In this work, low-cost and readily available limestone was converted into nanolimestone chitosan and mixed with alginate powder and precipitate to form a triple nanocomposite, namely limestone—chitosan–alginate (NLS/Cs/Alg.), which was used as an adsorbent for the removal of brilliant green (BG) and Congo red (CR) dyes in aqueous solutions. The adsorption studies were conducted under varying parameters, including contact time, temperature, concentration, and pH. The NLS/Cs/Alg. was characterized by SEM, FTIR, BET, and TEM techniques. The SEM images revealed that the NLS/Cs/Alg. surface structure had interconnected pores, which could easily trap the pollutants. The BET analysis established the surface area to be 20.45 m²/g. The recorded maximum experimental adsorption capacities were 2250 and 2020 mg/g for CR and BG, respectively. The adsorption processes had a good fit to the kinetic pseudo second order, which suggests that the removal mechanism was controlled by physical adsorption. The CR and BG equilibrium data had a good fit for the Freundlich isotherm, suggesting that adsorption processes occurred on the heterogeneous surface with a multilayer formation on the NLS/Cs/Alg. at equilibrium. The enthalpy change (ΔH⁰) was 37.7 KJ mol⁻¹ for CR and 8.71 KJ mol⁻¹ for BG, while the entropy change (ΔS⁰) was 89.1 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹ for CR and 79.1 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹ BG, indicating that the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous in nature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioproduct Production from Biomass and Residual Resources)

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Review

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9 pages, 3429 KiB

Open AccessReview

Yeast Synthetic Biology for the Production of Lycium barbarum Polysaccharides

by Jinjin Peng, Luan Wang, Mengge Wang, Rui Du, Shangshang Qin, Cheng-Yun Jin and Yongjun Wei

Molecules 2021, 26(6), 1641; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26061641 - 15 Mar 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2996

Abstract

The fruit of Lycium barbarum L. (goji berry) is used as traditional Chinese medicine, and has the functions of immune regulation, anti-tumor, neuroprotection, anti-diabetes, and anti-fatigue. One of the main bioactive components is L. barbarum polysaccharide (LBP). Nowadays, LBP is widely used in the health market, and it is extracted from the fruit of L. barbarum. The planting of L. barbarum needs large amounts of fields, and it takes one year to harvest the goji berry. The efficiency of natural LBP production is low, and the LBP quality is not the same at different places. Goji berry-derived LBP cannot satisfy the growing market demands. Engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been used for the biosynthesis of some plant natural products. Recovery of LBP biosynthetic pathway in L. barbarum and expression of them in engineered S. cerevisiae might lead to the yeast LBP production. However, information on LBP biosynthetic pathways and the related key enzymes of L. barbarum is still limited. In this review, we summarized current studies about LBP biosynthetic pathway and proposed the strategies to recover key enzymes for LBP biosynthesis. Moreover, the potential application of synthetic biology strategies to produce LBP using engineered S. cerevisiae was discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioproduct Production from Biomass and Residual Resources)

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