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Published on: January 7, 2019
Efficient Isolation and Structural Characterization of Lignin from Xanthoceras sorbifolium Shell Using
Huaizhi Pan1, Xichuang Cheng2, Zhenchang Wang1
1Engineering Research Center of Forestry Biomass Materials and Bioenergy (Ministry of Education), State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
This study details a novel deep eutectic solvent (DES) method for isolating lignin from *Xanthoceras sorbifolium* fruit shells (XSS). The process efficiently recovers valuable lignin for applications like antioxidants and thermally stable polymers, promoting biomass waste recycling.
Area of Science:
- Biomass valorization and lignocellulose chemistry
- Green chemistry and sustainable materials
Background:
- Discarded *Xanthoceras sorbifolium* fruit shells (XSS) are rich in lignocellulose, presenting an opportunity for biomass refining.
- Understanding the native lignin structure is crucial for effective biomass processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the native lignin structure of XSS.
- To develop a ball-milling-assisted deep eutectic solvent (DES) strategy for efficient lignin isolation and valorization.
- To explore the potential of DES-isolated lignin for antioxidant and polymer applications.
Main Methods:
- Characterization of native lignin structure in XSS.
- Lignin isolation using ball-milling-assisted DES (ChCl/LA, ChCl/EA, ChCl/EG) at 140 °C.
- Analysis of isolated lignin properties: purity, molecular weight (Mw), phenolic hydroxyl content, antioxidant activity, and thermal stability.
- Evaluation of delignification and hemicellulose removal efficiencies.
Main Results:
- Native XSS lignin is SGH-type with S/G = 1.60 and β-O-4 = 51.01/100 Ar.
- DES treatment achieved high delignification (>90%) and hemicellulose removal (>94%) with DES lignin purity >92%.
- ChCl/LA-derived lignin exhibited high antioxidant activity (IC50 = 0.027 g/L) and low Mw (2214 Da).
- ChCl/EA-derived lignin showed preserved native structure and high thermal stability (char yield = 47.82%).
Conclusions:
- DES-assisted isolation is an effective strategy for valorizing XSS lignocellulose.
- Acidic DES (ChCl/LA) yields lignin suitable for antioxidant applications.
- Alkaline DES (e.g., ChCl/EA) yields lignin with high thermal stability for polymer applications.
- This approach promotes the recycling of woody biomass waste.
