Green Technique for Producing Carbon-Based Catalysts for Cellulose Hydrolysis

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Sulfonated carbon catalysts are effective solid protonic acids.
• Current synthesis methods often involve harsh conditions, impacting efficiency and sustainability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid, acid-free, and environmentally friendly method for sulfonating carbon nanotubes (CNTs).
• To evaluate the performance of the resulting catalyst in biomass conversion.

Main Methods:

• Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were treated with an aqueous sodium persulfate solution at room temperature.
• The process involved simple magnetic stirring for 45 minutes without thermal treatment or hazardous reagents.

Main Results:

• The method rapidly introduced sulfonic and sulfate ester groups onto CNTs.
• Achieved high sulfur-containing acid densities (up to 0.34 mmol g⁻¹).
• Demonstrated effective cellulose hydrolysis, reaching 31.6% conversion and 23.2% glucose yield.

Conclusions:

• The developed method is a sustainable, cost-effective, and efficient approach for preparing sulfonated carbon catalysts.
• This technique offers significant potential for biomass conversion and other green chemistry applications.