Lignocellulosic biomass dissolution and depolymerization in ionic liquids
Monday, April 27, 2015
Aventine Ballroom ABC/Grand Foyer, Ballroom Level
Effective dissolution of lignocellulosic biomass by ionic liquid (IL) is an important technology that is readily applicable to current biomass conversion into advanced fuels and chemicals. Our recent efforts on the development of designer ILs for improved economics and biocompatibility are paving the way of developing novel ILs with task specific biomass dissolution and catalysis. Our predictive identification of ILs is enabling unique catalytic routes of biomass pretreatment in aqueous conditions and at lower temperatures. Besides experimental work, quantum chemical computations have been conducted to elucidate reaction mechanisms of acidic and basic ILs interactions with lignin and cellulose. Lignin dimer model compounds comprising p-hydroxyphenyl (H), syringyl (S), and guaiacyl (G) subunits linked through common β-O-4, β-1 and β-5 inter-unit linkages are investigated to understand physiochemical control on reaction mechanisms. The role of hydrogen transfer in different conditions clearly differentiated energy barrier involved in the acidic and basic ILs and interaction patterns affected IL reactivity on dissociation of low molecular weight fragments.