Hydrothermal microwave valorization of eucalyptus using acidic ionic liquid as catalyst toward a green biorefinery...

The application of the acidic ionic liquid (IL), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogensulfate ([bmim]HSO4), as a catalyst in the hydrothermal microwave treatment (HMT) and green upgradation of eucalyptus biomass has been investigated. The process was carried out in a microwave reactor system at different temperatures (140-200°C) and evaluated for severities. The xylooligosaccharides (XOS, refers to a DP of 2-6) yield up to 5.04% (w/w) of the initial biomass and 26.72% (w/w) of xylan were achieved. Higher temperature resulted in lower molecular weight product, and enhanced the concentration of monosaccharides and byproducts. The morphology and structure of the solid residues were performed using an array of techniques, such as SEM, XRD, FTIR, BET surface area, and CP/MAS (13)C NMR, by which the increase of crystallinity, the destruction of surface structure, and the changes in functional groups and compositions were studied after the pretreatment, thus significantly enhancing the enzymatic hydrolysis.