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Lignin extraction from acacia wood: Crafting deep eutectic solvents with a systematic D-optimal mixture-process
Catarina Fernandes1, María José Aliaño-González2, Leandro Cid Gomes3
1University of Coimbra, CERES, Department of Chemical Engineering, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal; MED-Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Ed. 8, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal.
Efficient lignin extraction from biomass is key for applications. This study optimized deep eutectic solvents (DES), using lactic acid, citric acid, and choline chloride, achieving 99.6% yield and 91.4% purity.
Area of Science:
- Biomass valorization and sustainable chemistry.
- Polymer science and materials engineering.
- Green chemistry and solvent systems.
Background:
- Lignin, a complex biopolymer, requires efficient extraction for diverse applications.
- Deep eutectic solvents (DES), especially natural-origin DES (NADES), show promise for biomass fractionation.
- Understanding ternary DES component roles is crucial for optimizing lignin separation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of tartaric acid (Tart) or citric acid (Cit) addition to a lactic acid (Lact) and choline chloride (ChCl) binary DES for acacia wood lignin extraction.
- To optimize the composition of Lact:Cit:ChCl DES and extraction temperature for maximum lignin yield and purity.
- To assess the recyclability and reusability of the optimized DES.
Main Methods:
- Preparation and characterization of ternary DES based on lactic acid, citric acid, and choline chloride.
- Lignin extraction from acacia wood using various DES compositions and temperatures.
- Application of a combined mixture-process D-Optimal experimental design for optimization.
- Analysis of lignin yield and purity using established analytical techniques.
- Evaluation of DES recyclability through multiple extraction cycles.
Main Results:
- Ternary citrate-based DES demonstrated superior lignin extraction performance compared to tartrate-based DES.
- Optimal extraction conditions were identified as a Lact:Cit:ChCl molar ratio of 0.6:0.3:0.1 at 140 °C.
- Under optimal conditions, a high lignin extraction yield of 99.63 ± 1.24% and purity of 91.45 ± 1.03% were achieved.
- The optimized DES proved to be recyclable and reusable without significant loss of extraction efficiency.
Conclusions:
- Ternary DES, particularly those incorporating citric acid, offer enhanced performance for lignin extraction from acacia wood.
- The optimized Lact:Cit:ChCl DES system provides an efficient and sustainable method for high-purity lignin recovery.
- The developed DES system demonstrates practical applicability due to its recyclability and reusability.
