Bioethanol Production from Taberau (Phragmites australis) Biomass via Coriolopsis caperata Delignification and...

This study explored bioethanol production from Taberau lignocellulosic biomass through fungal delignification, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation using MIL-100(Fe)-immobilized yeast. The fungal pre-treatment with Coriolopsis caperata enhanced laccase activity, reaching a maximum of 520 U/L at 12 days, and significantly reduced lignin content from 20.87% to 10.92%. This reduction improved cellulose accessibility and increased the availability of fermentable sugars during hydrolysis. Enzymatic hydrolysis results showed that fungal-treated biomass produced higher reducing sugar concentrations compared to untreated and control samples, indicating effective lignin removal. Fermentation was conducted under various conditions, with optimal ethanol production achieved at a yeast dosage of 2% (w/v) and a fermentation time of 4 days, resulting in an ethanol concentration of 11.57 g/L. Characterization using FTIR, XRD, and SEM confirmed successful immobilization of yeast on MIL-100(Fe) without structural degradation. The immobilized system demonstrated improved stability and reusability compared to free yeast. The obtained ethanol concentration is within the typical range for SHF-based lignocellulosic bioethanol production. The integration of fungal pre-treatment with MOF-based immobilization provides a promising and sustainable strategy, with potential for further improvement through process optimization and alternative fermentation approaches.