title: Separation of Lignin from Corn Stover Hydrolysate with Quantitative Recovery of Ionic Liquid.
abstract: Abundant lignocellulosic biomass could become a source of sugars and lignin, potential feedstocks for the now emergent bio-renewable economy. The production and conversion of sugars from biomass have been well-studied, but far less is known about the production of lignin that is amenable to valorization. Here we report the isolation of lignin generated from the hydrolysis of biomass dissolved in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride. We show that lignin can be isolated from the hydrolysate slurry by simple filtration or centrifugation, and that the ionic liquid can be recovered quantitatively by a straightforward wash with water. The isolated lignin is not only free from ionic liquid, but also lacks cellulosic residues and is substantially depolymerized, making it a promising feedstock for valorization by conversion into fuels and chemicals.
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA ; DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Wisconsin Energy Institute, 1552 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53726, USA.
authors: Kaylee A
authors: KA
authors: Underkofler
authors: Hyrax Energy, Inc., 3475-N Edison Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA.
authors: Rodrigo E
authors: RE
authors: Teixeira
authors: Hyrax Energy, Inc., 3475-N Edison Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA.
authors: Stephen A
authors: SA
authors: Pietsch
authors: Hyrax Energy, Inc., 3475-N Edison Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA.
authors: Kurtis G
authors: KG
authors: Knapp
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA ; DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Wisconsin Energy Institute, 1552 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53726, USA ; Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 433 Babcock Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.
authors: Ronald T
authors: RT
authors: Raines
keywords: 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride; bagasse; biorefinery; centrifugation; corn stover; filtration; techno-economics; valorization