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Updated: Aug 24, 2025
Towards Biomimicking Wood: Fabricated Free-standing Films of Nanocellulose, Lignin, and a Synthetic Polycation
Published on: June 17, 2014
Green production of lignocellulose nanofibrils by FeCl3-catalyzed ethanol treatment
Hailong Lu1, Lili Zhang2, Ming Yan2
1Institute of Chemical Industry of Forest Products, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Lab of Biomass Energy and Material of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210042, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China; Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Science & Technology of Ministry of Education, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, China.
Abstract:
The traditional strategy for isolating cellulose nanomaterials requires various chemicals and a high energy input, while achieving a low product yield owing to lignin removal during pulping and bleaching. Here, we propose a green ethanol pretreatment process with a synergistic effect using ultrasound and FeCl3 to produce lignocellulose nanofibrils (LCNF) with a high yield (over 67 %) from thermomechanical pulp. Notably, a high-aspect-ratio LCNF with uniformly distributed lignin nanoparticles, a high lignin content, and excellent thermostability (Tmax > 330 °C) with a typical cellulose I crystalline structure were successfully obtained. In addition, reduced distillation can easily retrieve the FeCl3 solution and ethanol, reducing reagent waste. In general, FeCl3-catalyzed ethanol pretreatment can serve as a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach for converting sustainable lignocelluloses into high value-added nanomaterials. Moreover, the obtained LCNF can be applied in diverse fields.
