Coproduction of xylooligosaccharides and monosaccharides from hardwood by a combination of acetic acid pretreatment, mechanical refining and enzymatic hydrolysis

Structural characterization of lignin from the green pretreatments for co-producing xylo-oligosaccharides and glucose: Toward full biomass utilization

Three green non-enzymatic catalysis pretreatments (NECPs) including autohydrolysis, subcritical CO2-assisted seawater autohydrolysis, and inorganic salt catalysis were utilized to simultaneously produce xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS), glucose, and cellulolytic enzyme lignin (CEL) from sugarcane bagasse (SCB). The yield of XOS in all three NECPs was over 50 % with a competitive glucose yield of enzymatic hydrolysis. And the effects of different pretreatments on the chemical structure and composition of CEL samples were also investigated. The pretreatments significantly increased the thermal stability, yield, and purity of the CEL samples. Moreover, the net yield of lignin was 58.3 % with lignin purity was 98.9 % in the autohydrolysis system. Furthermore, there was a decrease in the molecular weight of CEL samples as the pretreatment intensity increased. And the original lignin structural units sustained less damage during the NECPs, due to the cleavage of the β-O-4 bonds dominating lignin degradation. Meanwhile, these pretreatments increased the phenolic-OH in CEL samples, making the lignin more reactive, and enhancing its subsequent modification and utilization. Collectively, the described techniques have demonstrated practical significance for the coproduction of XOS and glucose, and lignin, providing a promising strategy for full utilization of biomass.

The Potential of Xylooligosaccharides as Prebiotics and Their Sustainable Production from Agro-Industrial by-Products

In recent years, concerns about a good-quality diet have increased. Food supplements such as prebiotics have great nutritional and health benefits. Within the diverse range of prebiotics, xylooligosaccharides (XOs) show high potential, presenting exceptional properties for the prevention of systemic disorders. XOs can be found in different natural sources; however, their production is limited. Lignocellulosic biomasses present a high potential as a source of raw material for the production of XOs, making the agro-industrial by-products the perfect candidates for production on an industrial scale. However, these biomasses require the application of physicochemical pretreatments to obtain XOs. Different pretreatment methodologies are discussed in terms of increasing the production of XOs and limiting the coproduction of toxic compounds. The advance in new technologies for XOs production could decrease their real cost (USD 25-50/kg) on an industrial scale and would increase the volume of market transactions in the prebiotic sector (USD 4.5 billion). In this sense, new patents and innovations are being strategically developed to expand the use of XOs as daily prebiotics.

Efficient production of high concentration monosaccharides and ethanol from poplar wood after delignification and deacetylation

Efficient enzymatic hydrolysis is required for production of high concentration monosaccharides and ethanol. The lignin and acetyl group in poplar can limit the enzymatic hydrolysis. However, the effect of delignification combined with deacetylation on the saccharification of poplar for high concentration monosaccharides was not clear. Herein, hydrogen peroxide-acetic acid (HPAA) was used for delignification and sodium hydroxide was used for deacetylation to enhance the hydrolyzability of poplar. Delignification with 60% HPAA at 80 °C could remove 81.9% lignin. Acetyl group was completely removed with 0.5% NaOH at 60 °C. After saccharification, 318.1 g/L monosaccharides were obtained with a poplar loading of 35% (w/v). After simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, 114.9 g/L bioethanol was gained from delignified and deacetylated poplar. Those results showed the highest monosaccharides and ethanol concentrations in reported research. This developed strategy with relatively low temperature could effectively improve the production of high concentration monosaccharide and ethanol from poplar.

High solids loading pretreatment: The core of lignocellulose biorefinery as an industrial technology - An overview

Pretreatment is the first and most determinative, yet the least mature step of lignocellulose biorefinery chain. The current stagnation of biorefinery commercialization indicates the barriers of the existing pretreatment technologies are needed to be unlocked. This review focused on one of the core factors, the high lignocellulose solids loading in pretreatment. The high solids loading of pretreatment significantly reduces water input, energy requirement, toxic compound discharge, solid/liquid separation costs, and carbon dioxide emissions, improves the titers of sugars and biproducts to meet the industrial requirements. Meanwhile, lignocellulose feedstock after high solids loading pretreatment is compatible with the existing logistics system for densification, packaging, storage, and transportation. Both the technical-economic analysis and the cellulosic ethanol conversion performance suggest that the solids loading in the pretreatment step need to be further elevated towards an industrial technology and the effective solutions should be proposed to the technical barriers in high solids loading pretreatment operations.

Organosolv pretreatment for biorefineries: Current status, perspectives, and challenges

Biorefineries integrate processes for the sustainable conversion of biomass into chemicals, materials, and bioenergy so that resources are optimized and effluents are minimized. Despite the vast potential of lignocellulosic biorefineries, their success depends heavily on effective, economically viable, and sustainable biomass fractionation. Although efficient, organosolv pretreatment still faces challenges that must be overcome for its widespread utilization, mainly related to solvent type and recycling, robustness regarding biomass type and integration of hemicellulose recovery and use. This review shows the recent advances and state-of-the-art of organosolv pretreatment, discussing the advances, such as the use of biobased solvents, whilst also shedding light on the perspectives of using the streams - cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin - to produce biofuels and products of high added value. In addition, it presents an overview of the existing industrial implementations of organosolv processes and, lastly, shows the main scientific and industrial challenges and opportunities for this process.

Production of xylo-oligosaccharides and ethanol from corncob by combined tartaric acid hydrolysis with simultaneous saccharification and fermentation

In organic acid hydrolysis for xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) production, organic acids with low flash points and explosion limits can lead to explosion and fire risk. Herein, tartaric acid (TA) as an organic acid with high flash point and no explosion limit was used in the hydrolysis of corncob to produce XOS. Then, the TA-hydrolyzed corncob was used for ethanol production. In TA hydrolysis of corncob, a 56.4 % XOS yield was obtained from the hydrolysate with the conditions of 170 °C, 60 mM TA and 10 min. Meanwhile, 92.1 % TA was recovered from the hydrolysate by the addition of calcium hydroxide. After simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of TA-hydrolyzed corncob, an 82.4 % ethanol yield was obtained with a solid loading of 25 % (w/v, 250 g/L) by Saccharomyces cerevisiae H06. This research provided a relatively safe, simple, and efficient technology for producing XOS and ethanol from corncob.