Aqueous phase Lewis acids are a relatively recent development since Lewis acids were believed to react quickly with any water present at reaction conditions.  More recently it has been discovered that certain Lewis acids can be used in aqueous phase reactions with excellent selectivity and yield for several given organic synthesis reactions.
This research focuses on attempting to apply Lewis acids as a new form of pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass such as corn stover.  One exotic class of Lewis acid that has shown promising results are Lanthanide-series trifluoromethanesulfonates (triflates) which will be studied in the Lewis acid pretreatment.  In addition the following other Lewis acids will also be studied FeCl₃, AlCl₃, and ZnCl₂.  The conditions for the pretreatment are as follows; 120-150 ^oC, 1-10 mmol of Lewis acids, 5-15 wt% of solids, and 0.3 to 1.0 wt% sulfuric acid.  Following pretreatment the remaining solids will be analyzed for cellulose content.  For the most promising pretreatment conditions a detailed kinetics analysis will be performed.  The pretreatment will be performed in an EZE-Seal Reactor built by Autoclave Engineers that is stirred and steam jacketed for fast heating with a steam boiler.  The enzymatic digestibility of several of the most promising pretreated solids will also be evaluated.