Side by Side Comparison of Chemical Compounds Generated by Aqueous Pretreatments of Maize Stover, Miscanthus and Sugarcane Bagasse

Leonardo D. Gómez, Ruben Vanholme, Susannah Bird, Geert Goeminne, Luisa M. Trindade, Igor Polikarpov, Rachael Simister, Kris Morreel, Wout Boerjan, Simon John McQueen Mason*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

In order to examine the potential for coproduct generation, we have characterised chemical compounds released by a range of alkaline and acidic aqueous pretreatments as well as the effect of these pretreatments on the saccharification ability of the lignocellulosic material. Comparative experiments were performed using three biomass types chosen for their potential as second-generation biofuel feedstocks: maize stover, miscanthus and sugarcane bagasse. The release of lignin from the feedstock correlated with the residual biomass saccharification potential, which was consistently higher after alkaline pretreament for all three feedstock types. Alkaline pretreatment released more complex mixtures of pentose and hexose sugars into the pretreatment liquor than did acid pretreatment. In addition, complex mixtures of aromatic and aliphatic compounds were released into pretreatment liquors under alkaline conditions, in a temperature-dependent manner, but far less so under acidic conditions. We show that the three feedstocks characterised interact with the pretreatment conditions in a specific manner to generate different ranges of products, highlighting the need to tailor pretreatments to both the starting feedstock and desired outcomes.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1466-1480
Number of pages15
JournalBioEnergy Research
Volume7
Issue number4
Early online date3 Jun 2014
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2014

Keywords

  • Biomass chemicals
  • Biorefineries
  • Lignin
  • Maize
  • Miscanthus
  • Pentoses
  • Phenolics
  • Pretreatment
  • Sugarcane bagasse

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