Production of oligosaccharides and biofuels from Miscanthus using combinatorial steam explosion and ionic liquid pretreatment

Rakesh Bhatia, Jai B Lad, Maurice Bosch, David N Bryant, David Leak, Jason P Hallett, Telma T Franco, Joe A Gallagher

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56 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

Pretreatment strategies are fundamental to effectively deconstruct lignocellulosic biomass and economically produce biofuels, biomaterials and bio-based chemicals. This study evaluated individual and combinatorial steam explosion (SE) and ionic liquid (IL) pretreatments for production of high-value oligosaccharides from a novel seed-based Miscanthus hybrid (Mx2779). The two ILs used for pretreatment were triethylammonium hydrogen sulphate [TEA][HSO4] and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [C2mim][OAc]. The results showed that each pretreatment leads to distinct effects on the fragmentation (cellulose and xylan dissolution, delignification, deacetylation) and physicochemical modification (cellulose and lignin properties) of lignocellulose. This, in turn, dictated enzymatic hydrolysis efficiencies of the cellulose pulp to glucose or gluco-oligosaccharides for downstream applications. Our findings suggest that the stand-alone SE or [C2mim][OAc] pretreatments may offer cost advantages over [TEA][HSO4] through the production of oligosaccharides such as xylo- and gluco-oligosaccharides. This study also highlights technical and economic pretreatment process challenges related to the production of oligosaccharides from Miscanthus Mx2779 biomass.

Original languageEnglish
Article number124625
JournalBioresource Technology
Volume323
Early online date28 Dec 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 31 Mar 2021

Funding

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) ( BB/P017460/1 ) and the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) ( 2015/50612-8 ) financed this work. The authors thank John Clifton-Brown and the Miscanthus breeding team at IBERS for the Mx2779 hybrid (BBS/E/W/0012843A, BB/N016149/1, BB/K01711X/1, BBS/E/W/10963A01 as well as the GIANT-LINK project LK0863) and the BEACON Biorefining Centre of Excellence for supportive work. The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) (BB/P017460/1) and the S?o Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) (2015/50612-8) financed this work. The authors thank John Clifton-Brown and the Miscanthus breeding team at IBERS for the Mx2779 hybrid (BBS/E/W/0012843A, BB/N016149/1, BB/K01711X/1, BBS/E/W/10963A01 as well as the GIANT-LINK project LK0863) and the BEACON Biorefining Centre of Excellence for supportive work.

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