title: Major improvement in the rate and yield of enzymatic saccharification of sugarcane bagasse via pretreatment with the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([Emim] [Ac]).
abstract: In this study, sugarcane bagasse was pretreated by six ionic liquids (ILs) using a bagasse/IL ratio of 1:20 (wt%). The solubilization of bagasse in the ILs was followed by water precipitation. On using 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [Emim] [Ac] at 120 °C for 120 min, 20.7% of the bagasse components remained dissolved and enzymatic saccharification experiments resulted on 80% glucose yield within 6h, which evolved to over 90% within 24 h. Moreover, FE-SEM analysis of the precipitated material indicated a drastic lignin extraction and the exposure of nanoscopic cellulose microfibrils with widths of less than 100 nm. The specific surface area (SSA) of the pretreated bagasse (131.84 m2/g) was found to be 100 times that of untreated bagasse. The ability of [Emim] [Ac] to simultaneously increase the SSA and to decrease the biomass crystallinity is responsible for the improved bagasse enzymatic saccharification rates and yields obtained in this work.
authors.affiliation: Enzyme Technology Laboratory, Chemistry Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), CEP: 21941-909 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ayla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sant'Ana da Silva
authors.forename: Seung-Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Elba P S
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Bon
mesh_terms: D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D002480:Cellulase / Q000378:metabolism*; D002482:Cellulose / Q000378:metabolism*; D005947:Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D006868:Hydrolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D052578:Ionic Liquids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D031786:Saccharum / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility / Q000187:drug effects; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014994:Xylose / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D007093:Imidazoles; D052578:Ionic Liquids; D014867:Water; D002482:Cellulose; C027433:bagasse; D014994:Xylose; D002480:Cellulase; D005947:Glucose; C518739:1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium