(652a) Selective Lignin, Cellulose, and Hemicellulose Dissolution in Deep Eutectic Solvents

An method to separate cellulose and hemicelluloses from lignin in biomass that is environmentally-friendly would be helpful in reducing greenhouse gas generation. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) are easily prepared and have low volatility, non-flammability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Some DESs were researched to determine their capability to preferentially dissolve lignin at 60 ℃. Thermogravimetric analysis of these DES showed them to be stable at typical biomass processing temperatures. Pretreating loblolly pine in one DES enhanced glucose yield after enzymatic hydrolysis to be more than seven times that of raw or glycerol-pretreated pine. The density of DES-pretreated biomass was found to be 40% higher than the untreated pine’s density.