纤维素超临界水预处理与水解研究

利用超临界水解工艺进行生物质废弃物(秸秆)能源转化, 使其主要成分纤维素在超临界水中快速水解为低聚糖, 为其进一步葡萄糖转化和乙醇发酵解决技术瓶颈. 其中纤维素在超临界水中的溶解是预处理与水解过程的限速步骤. 研究表明, 反应温度达到380 ℃及以上时, 纤维素可迅速溶解并进行水解, 液化比例可达100%; 在374～386 ℃范围内反应温度对纤维素的转化率有明显作用, 低聚糖和六碳糖的总产率在临界点附近出现最大值. 超临界条件下, 低聚糖和六碳糖转化率在较短反应时间内出现峰值, 而后随反应时间的延长快速下降, 固液比对于纤维素的低聚糖和六碳糖转化也有显著影响. 最优水解条件研究显示, 在380 ℃, 40 mg纤维素/2.5 mL水条件下反应16 s可获得最大的低聚糖产率, 为29.3%, 在380 ℃, 80 mg纤维素/2.5 mL水条件下反应18 s可获得最大的六碳糖产率, 为39.2%.     

秸秆超（亚）临界水预处理与水解技术*

秸秆的资源化特别是乙醇化技术由于其技术可行性和产物高值化受到了广泛关注。预处理与水解是乙醇化的关键过程。目前针对秸秆的转化已经开展了多种化学或生物技术的研究,其中超（亚）临界技术与传统技术相比显示了独特的优势,如更高的反应速率、不需催化剂、无产物抑制等。本文在总结秸秆传统预处理与水解技术的基础上,对秸秆超（亚）临界水预处理与水解的过程和机理,特别是超临界亚临界组合技术的研究现状、工艺及其相关研究的进展进行了综述和分析,并阐述了超临界亚临界组合技术首先在超临界水中打破纤维结构进行初级水解,再通过亚临界反应将初级水解产物低聚糖进一步水解为葡萄糖的基本原理。最后对超（亚）临界技术在秸秆资源化领域的研究和应用前景进行了展望。     

Cu催化羟基自由基氧化断裂纤维二糖分子糖苷键反应及其在纤维素低温解聚中的应用

纤维素是葡萄糖通过β-1,4-糖苷键链接而成的高聚物,在木质纤维素中含量最高,结构稳定,较难水解.糖苷键的解聚主要有三种方式:酶水解、酸水解以及碱降解.酶解的优点是反应条件温和、副产物少,但存在成本高、活性低等缺点,限制了其大规模的工业化生产.碱水解纤维素的同时伴随着葡萄糖的peeling-off反应得到异变糖酸,需要消耗大量的碱,并且强碱也存在腐蚀性强和回收难等问题.酸水解是目前工业上常用的纤维素水解方法,在保持较高葡萄糖选择性的同时,通过对反应条件的控制(提高反应温度和酸浓度)来提高纤维素的水解效率,但是硫酸对设备的腐蚀性强,也难以回收,不符合绿色化学的发展要求.固体酸是近年来研究较多的纤维素水解催化剂.固体酸虽然腐蚀性弱、易回收,但是其活性低,水热稳定性较差,目前还不具备大规模生产的条件.本文发展了一种羟基自由基活化断裂糖苷键的方法,利用羟基自由基的高活性在低温下实现糖苷键的选择性断裂,同时羟基自由基与糖苷键作用后转化为无毒无害的水和氧气,将不会对环境造成污染.我们首先以纤维二糖作为纤维素的模型分子,通过羟基自由基能够优先与糖苷键反应得到葡萄糖和葡萄糖酸的实验证实所提出的方法的可行性.实验表明,来自H2O2的·OH自由基能够在铜基催化剂作用下选择性氧化断裂其糖苷键,生成葡萄糖和葡萄糖酸.比如:采用均相CuSO4体系,纤维二糖转化率约为20%时,葡萄糖和葡萄糖酸的选择性分别为28.5%和32.3%.采用多相CuO/SiO2(4 wt%CuO)体系,纤维二糖转化率约为20%时,葡萄糖和葡萄糖酸的选择性约分别为23.3%和25.7%,并且该催化剂具有良好的循环使用性能.与·OH类似,CuSO4催化过硫酸钾生成的·SO4-自由基也能够有效转化纤维二糖,在纤维二糖转化率为20%时,葡萄糖和葡萄糖酸的选择性分别为36.6%和39.9%.利用这种·OH和·SO4-自由基氧化的方法,也能够在较低温度下(333 K)解聚纤维素中的糖苷键.我们发展了H2O2浸渍预处理纤维浸渍预处理纤维素的方法,通过部分破坏纤维素糖苷键,提高了纤维素的水解活性.比如:处理后的纤维素在413 K条件下反应12 h,纤维素转化率和葡萄糖选择性分别达到约36.1%和42.5%.XRD结果表明,处理后的纤维素的晶体结构未发生明显的变化.FT-IR表征结果显示处理后的纤维素表面生成了大量的羧酸基团.     

纤维素超/亚临界水水解研究进展

纤维素作为天然可再生资源,由于其水解糖化技术的可行性和水解产物的重要性而受到人们的广泛关注。目前多种生物和化学技术应用于纤维素水解糖化的研究,其中超、亚临界水是纤维素水解的绿色新型水解技术之一,具有反应快、转化率高等特点。本文比较了纤维素在超、亚临界水中不同的水解机理和产物分布,归纳了反应温度、压力和时间以及催化剂和纤维素结构对超、亚临界水水解反应的影响,并且介绍了超、亚临界水水解技术联用在纤维素水解中的应用。     

Cu催化羟基自由基氧化断裂纤维二糖分子糖苷键反应及其在纤维素低温解聚中的应用（英文）

纤维素是葡萄糖通过β-1,4-糖苷键链接而成的高聚物,在木质纤维素中含量最高,结构稳定,较难水解.糖苷键的解聚主要有三种方式:酶水解、酸水解以及碱降解.酶解的优点是反应条件温和、副产物少,但存在成本高、活性低等缺点,限制了其大规模的工业化生产.碱水解纤维素的同时伴随着葡萄糖的peeling-off反应得到异变糖酸,需要消耗大量的碱,并且强碱也存在腐蚀性强和回收难等问题.酸水解是目前工业上常用的纤维素水解方法,在保持较高葡萄糖选择性的同时,通过对反应条件的控制(提高反应温度和酸浓度)来提高纤维素的水解效率,但是硫酸对设备的腐蚀性强,也难以回收,不符合绿色化学的发展要求.固体酸是近年来研究较多的纤维素水解催化剂.固体酸虽然腐蚀性弱、易回收,但是其活性低,水热稳定性较差,目前还不具备大规模生产的条件.本文发展了一种羟基自由基活化断裂糖苷键的方法,利用羟基自由基的高活性在低温下实现糖苷键的选择性断裂,同时羟基自由基与糖苷键作用后转化为无毒无害的水和氧气,将不会对环境造成污染.我们首先以纤维二糖作为纤维素的模型分子,通过羟基自由基能够优先与糖苷键反应得到葡萄糖和葡萄糖酸的实验证实所提出的方法的可行性.实验表明,来自H_2O_2的·OH自由基能够在铜基催化剂作用下选择性氧化断裂其糖苷键,生成葡萄糖和葡萄糖酸.比如:采用均相Cu SO_4体系,纤维二糖转化率约为20%时,葡萄糖和葡萄糖酸的选择性分别为28.5%和32.3%.采用多相CuO/SiO_2(4 wt%CuO)体系,纤维二糖转化率约为20%时,葡萄糖和葡萄糖酸的选择性约分别为23.3%和25.7%,并且该催化剂具有良好的循环使用性能.与·OH类似,CuSO_4催化过硫酸钾生成的·SO_4~?自由基也能够有效转化纤维二糖,在纤维二糖转化率为20%时,葡萄糖和葡萄糖酸的选择性分别为36.6%和39.9%.利用这种·OH和·SO_4~?自由基氧化的方法,也能够在较低温度下(333 K)解聚纤维素中的糖苷键.我们发展了H_2O_2浸渍预处理纤维浸渍预处理纤维素的方法,通过部分破坏纤维素糖苷键,提高了纤维素的水解活性.比如:处理后的纤维素在413 K条件下反应12 h,纤维素转化率和葡萄糖选择性分别达到约36.1%和42.5%.XRD结果表明,处理后的纤维素的晶体结构未发生明显的变化.FT-IR表征结果显示处理后的纤维素表面生成了大量的羧酸基团.     

典型醇类物质超临界水氧化反应途径研究

采用自主设计的连续流动气封壁超临界水氧化反应装置,研究了典型醇类物质甲醇、乙醇和异丙醇在超临界水中氧化的反应途径,并归纳了醇类物质超临界水氧化反应的规律及特点。研究结果表明,甲醇超临界水氧化反应的主要中间产物为甲醛,同样条件下转化率较乙醇和异丙醇低;乙醇和异丙醇超临界水氧化反应的主要中间产物为丙酮、乙酸、乙醛和甲醇等。三种醇超临界水氧化过程中均涉及到大量活性自由基的相互作用,表现为脱氢、裂解和聚合等反应形式;产物包括碳链增长、不变、降低三种类型。总体来看,醇类物质超临界水氧化反应的趋势是向碳链降低的方向进行,即通过一系列中间产物最后生成CO₂和水。     

典型醇类物质超临界水氧化反应途径研究

采用自主设计的连续流动气封壁超临界水氧化反应装置,研究了典型醇类物质甲醇、乙醇和异丙醇在超临界水中氧化的反应途径,并归纳了醇类物质超临界水氧化反应的规律及特点。研究结果表明,甲醇超临界水氧化反应的主要中间产物为甲醛,同样条件下转化率较乙醇和异丙醇低;乙醇和异丙醇超临界水氧化反应的主要中间产物为丙酮、乙酸、乙醛和甲醇等。三种醇超临界水氧化过程中均涉及到大量活性自由基的相互作用,表现为脱氢、裂解和聚合等反应形式;产物包括碳链增长、不变、降低三种类型。总体来看,醇类物质超临界水氧化反应的趋势是向碳链降低的方向进行,即通过一系列中间产物最后生成CO2和水。     

木质纤维素中C-O键选择性活化和高效转化制化学品

高效转化来源丰富且可再生的木质纤维素制备化学品和燃料对建立可持续发展社会具有重要意义。木质纤维素利用的一条理想途径是将其主要成分纤维素、半纤维素和木质素在温和条件下高选择性地催化转化为关键平台化学品。本文综述了近年报道的有关纤维素、半纤维素和木质素或其模型分子中C–O键选择性活化生成葡萄糖、葡萄糖衍生物(包括葡萄糖苷、六元醇和葡萄糖酸)、木糖、阿拉伯糖和芳香化合物的新催化剂和新策略,阐述了决定催化性能的关键因素。本文还讨论了相关反应机理以深入理解C–O键选择性活化。纤维素由葡萄糖单元通过β-1,4-糖苷键连接而成,通过水解反应,选择性切断这些糖苷键可以获得葡萄糖或其低聚物。鉴于葡萄糖在水热条件下不稳定,发展纤维素温和条件下水解的酸催化剂至关重要。众多研究表明,均相酸催化剂(如无机酸,杂多酸等)具有强Br?nsted酸,在该水解反应中显示高的催化活性。另一方面,拥有强酸性基团-SO3H的固体酸也表现出优异的水解糖苷键性能,但是-SO3H官能团易于流失,限制了这类固体酸催化剂的循环使用。最近研究显示,一些催化剂尤其是碳材料上引入能够与纤维素形成氢键的官能团时,其催化纤维素水解性能显著增强。设计合成这类具备酸性位和氢键位协同效应的稳定固体酸催化剂是纤维素水解转化的一个颇具前景的研究方向。以醇替代水为溶剂实施纤维素醇解制葡萄糖苷是高效活化糖苷键的有效策略。杂多酸被证实为该醇解反应的高性能催化剂。在相同反应条件下,醇解产物葡萄糖苷较水解产物葡萄糖更为稳定,因此可以获得高的葡萄糖苷收率。开发稳定可重复利用的固体酸催化剂是纤维素醇解的关键。耦合水解与加氢或氧化反应可以直接将纤维素转化为相对稳定且具有广泛用途的多元醇或有机酸。目前已有一系列双功能催化剂被报道,这些催化剂通常组合了具备水解功能的液体酸或固体酸和具备加氢或氧化功能的贵金属或过渡金属(譬如Ru, Pt, Ni和Au)。其中杂多酸盐或含有磺酸官能团的固体酸负载Ru或Au双功能催化剂显示出优异的生成六元醇或葡萄糖酸的催化性能。半纤维素由葡萄糖、甘露糖、木糖、阿拉伯糖、半乳糖等单糖单元通过糖苷键连接而成,糖苷键选择性活化可生成各种单糖混合物。硫酸可以有效水解半纤维素,但是同时也易于催化所生成的单糖深度转化为呋喃及其衍生物。较之硫酸,酸性较弱的有机酸特别是二元羧酸(例如马来酸、草酸等)具有较高的单糖选择性。固体酸如酸性树脂,分子筛等亦可催化半纤维素水解反应,但树脂类催化剂中官能团的流失问题有待解决。木质素是由含甲氧基等取代基的苯丙烷单元通过一系列化学键连接而成的复杂大分子,其芳香单元间包括β-O-4,α-O-4和4-O-5等三种主要连接方式,选择性切断这些C–O键可获得高附加值的芳香化合物。水解和氢解是两类普遍用以活化木质素及其模型化合物C–O键的反应。酸和碱均可催化木质素及其模型化合物水解,但是通常需要苛刻条件获取高转化率。近期研究显示,通过对木质素Cα-OH预氧化,再以HCOOH/HCOONa实施水解反应,可以成功实现温和条件下有机溶剂提取木质素及其模型化合物的高效转化。另一方面,均相金属络合物(如Ni, Fe和Ru)或多相负载型金属催化剂(如Ni, Cu, Mo, Pt, Ru, Pd或Ru等)均可有效催化木质素及其模型化合物中C–O键氢解,获得芳烃化合物。在部分多相催化剂体系中,除C–O键活化断裂外,还伴随芳环深度加氢反应,产生较多环己烷衍生物。因此,设计合成具备氢解功能同时抑制过度加氢功能的催化剂是获得芳烃化合物的关键。     

孤岛渣油超临界水-合成气中悬浮床加氢裂化反应研究 Ⅰ. 催化剂的影响

利用超临界水-合成气为替代加氢氢源对孤岛渣油悬浮床加氢裂化反应进行了研究，设想利用超临界水中发生的水-气转化反应（CO+H2O→H2+CO2）为渣油加氢反应提供氢源，报道了孤岛渣油超临界水-合成气中悬浮床加氢裂化反应催化剂影响的研究结果。结果表明，催化剂在该反应中具有十分重要的作用，加入催化剂可以明显改善加氢裂化产物的分布和裂化反应产物的性质，降低裂化气体和抑制缩合生焦反应的发生。     

木质纤维素中C–O键选择性活化和高效转化制化学品（英文）

高效转化来源丰富且可再生的木质纤维素制备化学品和燃料对建立可持续发展社会具有重要意义.木质纤维素利用的一条理想途径是将其主要成分纤维素、半纤维素和木质素在温和条件下高选择性地催化转化为关键平台化学品.本文综述了近年报道的有关纤维素、半纤维素和木质素或其模型分子中C–O键选择性活化生成葡萄糖、葡萄糖衍生物(包括葡萄糖苷、六元醇和葡萄糖酸)、木糖、阿拉伯糖和芳香化合物的新催化剂和新策略,阐述了决定催化性能的关键因素.本文还讨论了相关反应机理以深入理解C–O键选择性活化.纤维素由葡萄糖单元通过β-1,4-糖苷键连接而成,通过水解反应,选择性切断这些糖苷键可以获得葡萄糖或其低聚物.鉴于葡萄糖在水热条件下不稳定,发展纤维素温和条件下水解的酸催化剂至关重要.众多研究表明,均相酸催化剂(如无机酸,杂多酸等)具有强Br?nsted酸,在该水解反应中显示高的催化活性.另一方面,拥有强酸性基团-SO3H的固体酸也表现出优异的水解糖苷键性能,但是-SO3H官能团易于流失,限制了这类固体酸催化剂的循环使用.最近研究显示,一些催化剂尤其是碳材料上引入能够与纤维素形成氢键的官能团时,其催化纤维素水解性能显著增强.设计合成这类具备酸性位和氢键位协同效应的稳定固体酸催化剂是纤维素水解转化的一个颇具前景的研究方向.以醇替代水为溶剂实施纤维素醇解制葡萄糖苷是高效活化糖苷键的有效策略.杂多酸被证实为该醇解反应的高性能催化剂.在相同反应条件下,醇解产物葡萄糖苷较水解产物葡萄糖更为稳定,因此可以获得高的葡萄糖苷收率.开发稳定可重复利用的固体酸催化剂是纤维素醇解的关键.耦合水解与加氢或氧化反应可以直接将纤维素转化为相对稳定且具有广泛用途的多元醇或有机酸.目前已有一系列双功能催化剂被报道,这些催化剂通常组合了具备水解功能的液体酸或固体酸和具备加氢或氧化功能的贵金属或过渡金属(譬如Ru,Pt,Ni和Au).其中杂多酸盐或含有磺酸官能团的固体酸负载Ru或Au双功能催化剂显示出优异的生成六元醇或葡萄糖酸的催化性能.半纤维素由葡萄糖、甘露糖、木糖、阿拉伯糖、半乳糖等单糖单元通过糖苷键连接而成,糖苷键选择性活化可生成各种单糖混合物.硫酸可以有效水解半纤维素,但是同时也易于催化所生成的单糖深度转化为呋喃及其衍生物.较之硫酸,酸性较弱的有机酸特别是二元羧酸(例如马来酸、草酸等)具有较高的单糖选择性.固体酸如酸性树脂,分子筛等亦可催化半纤维素水解反应,但树脂类催化剂中官能团的流失问题有待解决.木质素是由含甲氧基等取代基的苯丙烷单元通过一系列化学键连接而成的复杂大分子,其芳香单元间包括β-O-4,α-O-4和4-O-5等三种主要连接方式,选择性切断这些C–O键可获得高附加值的芳香化合物.水解和氢解是两类普遍用以活化木质素及其模型化合物C–O键的反应.酸和碱均可催化木质素及其模型化合物水解,但是通常需要苛刻条件获取高转化率.近期研究显示,通过对木质素Cα-OH预氧化,再以HCOOH/HCOONa实施水解反应,可以成功实现温和条件下有机溶剂提取木质素及其模型化合物的高效转化.另一方面,均相金属络合物(如Ni,Fe和Ru)或多相负载型金属催化剂(如Ni,Cu,Mo,Pt,Ru,Pd或Ru等)均可有效催化木质素及其模型化合物中C–O键氢解,获得芳烃化合物.在部分多相催化剂体系中,除C–O键活化断裂外,还伴随芳环深度加氢反应,产生较多环己烷衍生物.因此,设计合成具备氢解功能同时抑制过度加氢功能的催化剂是获得芳烃化合物的关键.     

The study of model systems subjected to sub- and supercritical water hydrolysis for the production of fermentable sugars

Bioenergy obtained from lignocellulosic biomass is considered the most efficient way to achieve sustainable development in the future. However, there still are challenges in the cellulose conversion to hexoses, which could be used as raw material for the bioenergy production. Sub- and supercritical water hydrolysis have been researched as emergent technologies to obtain simple sugars from lignocellulosic biomass; however, the reaction pathways and kinetics of the hydrolysis of cellulose into oligomers and monomers, and their degradation under sub- and supercritical conditions, are not completely understood yet. Thus, this review provides an overview of the state-of-the-art on hydrolysis with sub- and supercritical water of model systems, cellulose and starch, in the context of elucidating the reaction pathways and kinetic behavior of the biomass hydrolysis to produce suitable fermentation substrates for the production of second generation bioethanol and other biofuels.     

The effects of water interactions in cellulose suspensions on mass transfer and saccharification efficiency at high solids loadings

Water is essential to the hydrolysis and conversion of lignocellulosic materials as it is both the medium through which enzymes diffuse to and products diffuse away from the reaction sites and a reactant in the hydrolysis reaction of the glycosidic bonds within the polysaccharides. However, little is known about how water interactions with the biomass change with solids content and how this affects mass transfer resistances during high solids saccharification. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements of the T ₂ relaxation times of water in cellulose suspensions were used to demonstrate that increases in solids content led to increases in the physical constraint of water in the suspensions. Moreover, the addition of either glucose (a monosaccharide which end-product inhibits β-glucosidase) or mannose (a stereoisomer of glucose that does not end-product inhibit β-glucosidase) further increased water constraint at all solids contents. The presence of either monosaccharide constrained water and inhibited saccharification rates to similar extents. This observation, coupled with the absence of cellobiose produced in the reactions, demonstrated that the presence of soluble sugars can negatively impact saccharification efficiency simply by increasing water constraint in cellulose suspensions before impacting enzyme activity. Furthermore, results are presented that demonstrate strong correlations between water constraint in cellulose suspensions with diffusivities of enzyme and monosaccharides within the system. These results are discussed in the context of increased viscosity of the aqueous fraction in the suspension resulting from increased water-cellulose and water-solute interactions that ultimately increases diffusion resistances and decreases saccharification rates.     

Bioethanol from cellulose with supercritical water treatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis

The water-soluble portion and precipitates obtained by supercritical (SC) water treatment of microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel) were enzymatically hydrolyzed. Glucose could be produced easily from both substrates, compared with the Avicel. Therefore, SC water treatment was found to be effective for enhancing the productivity of glucose from cellulose by the enzymatic hydrolysis. It is also found that alkaline treatment or wood charcoal treatment reduced inhibitory effects by various decomposed compounds of cellulose on the enzymatic hydrolysis to achieve higher glucose yields. Furthermore, glucose obtained by SC water treatment followed by the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose could be converted to ethanol by fermentation without any inhibition.     

Weak‐Acid Sites Catalyze the Hydrolysis of Crystalline Cellulose to Glucose in Water: Importance of Post‐Synthetic Functionalization of the Carbon Surface

The direct hydrolysis of crystalline cellulose to glucose in water without prior pretreatment enables the transformation of biomass into fuels and chemicals. To understand which features of a solid catalyst are most important for this transformation, the nanoporous carbon material MSC‐30 was post‐synthetically functionalized by oxidation. The most active catalyst depolymerized crystalline cellulose without prior pretreatment in water, providing glucose in an unprecedented 70 % yield. In comparison, virtually no reaction was observed with MSC‐30, even when the reaction was conducted in aqueous solution at pH 2. As no direct correlations between the activity of this solid–solid reaction and internal‐site characteristics, such as the β‐glu adsorption capacity and the rate of catalytic hydrolysis of adsorbed β‐glu strands, were observed, contacts of the external surface with the cellulose crystal are thought to be key for the overall efficiency.     

Electrical Double Layer as a Model of Interaction between Cellulose and Solid Acid Catalysts of Hydrolysis

Solid acid catalysts of cellulose hydrolysis in aqueous media attract considerable research interest because of the ease of their separation from the reaction products. The nature of interaction between the two solids is a relevant topic of ongoing research. One aspect of behavior of solid acids in water was not previously discussed in literature with regard to hydrolysis of cellulose: electrolytic dissociation and formation of electric double layers. In this work, on theoretical level, we consider the role of the double layer created by the solid acid when cellulose hydrolysis takes place. The diffuse layer of protons is regarded as the medium where the hydrolysis reaction occurs. Protonation of cellulose by these protons imparts positive charge onto its surface, and cellulose is electrostatically attracted to the polyanion of the catalyst. Thus, the two solid surfaces stay close to each other despite Brownian motion; this allows explaining the high activity of solid catalysts even when chemisorption of carbohydrates on a catalyst is not favorable.     

Lewis酸催化纤维素制乳酸机理研究

乳酸是制备可降解聚合物聚乳酸的主要单体。利用秸秆等原生生物质为原料经过化学催化转化制备乳酸对于碳减排具有重要意义。本工作利用同位素核磁和质谱详细探究了不同Lewis酸(Y³⁺,Sc³⁺,Al³⁺)催化纤维素制乳酸的反应选择性和机理。发现葡萄糖异构化为果糖的过程是决定纤维素制乳酸多步串联反应最终选择性的关键步骤,并明确了1, 3-二羟基丙酮生成乳酸经历了烯醇互变异构过程而非经典的1, 2-shift机理。     

Lewis酸催化纤维素制乳酸机理研究

Because fossil fuels are continuously depleted, valorization of biomass into valuable liquid products and chemicals is of great significance yet it remains challenging. Among many biomass-derived products, lactic acid is one of the most important renewable monomers for preparing the degradable polymer polylactic acid. The use of raw biomass to produce lactic acid through catalytic conversion is an attractive approach. In this work, the catalytic reaction performance and mechanism of different Lewis acids (Y³⁺, Sc³⁺, and Al³⁺) for the production of lactic acid from cellulose were investigated in detail by isotopic nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry. The production of lactic acid from cellulose includes tandem and competing reactions. The order of catalytic activity for the one-pot conversion of cellulose into lactic acid is as follows: Y³⁺ > Al³⁺ > Sc³⁺. The main tandem reactions involve the hydrolysis of cellulose into glucose, the isomerization of glucose into fructose (the order of catalytic activity, the same below: Y³⁺ > Al³⁺, Y³⁺ > Sc³⁺), the cleavage of fructose via a retro-aldol reaction to glyceraldehyde (GLY) and 1, 3-dihydroxyacetone (DHA) (Sc³⁺ > Y³⁺ > Al³⁺), and the conversion of DHA or GLY to the final product lactic acid (Al³⁺ > Y³⁺ > Sc³⁺). It was found that the process of glucose isomerization to fructose was the key step to the final selectivity of the tandem reaction of cellulose conversion to lactic acid, and it was clarified that the production of lactic acid from DHA underwent a keto-enol (K-E) tautomerization process rather than a classical 1, 2-shift process. First, DHA was transformed into GLY via the isomerization process, then the adjacent hydroxyl group of GLY was removed in the form of water to produce an α, β-unsaturated species. After that, the α, β-unsaturated species underwent K-E tautomerization to generate unsaturated aldehyde-ketone intermediates. Meanwhile, a molecule of water was added to aldehyde-ketone intermediates to obtain a diol product, the hydrogen atom at the methine position was transferred and the lactic acid was finally obtained through the K-E tautomerization process. The in-depth understanding of the reaction mechanism presented in this work will help to design more selective catalysts for cellulose conversion into value-added oxygen-containing small molecule chemicals.      

Heck coupling reaction of iodobenzene and styrene using supercritical water in the absence of a catalyst

Heck coupling reaction of iodobenzene and styrene proceeds rapidly and selectively in supercritical water even without any catalyst in the presence of base. Both the choice of base and the reaction conditions had a significant effect on the conversion and the selectivity of the coupling products. The addition of a relatively mild base such as potassium acetate facilitated the cross-coupling reaction, while the hydrolysis of phenyl halide was favored in the presence of a strong base. The conversion and the yields of coupling products increased with increasing temperature, reaching a maximum at 650 K near the critical temperature of water, and then decreased as the temperature was further increased. Water density had a significant influence on the reaction rate, showing nearly 30% augmentation with a slight increase in density from 0.45 to 0.56 g cm(-3), but had less effect on the product selectivity. Two possibilities of the role of water responsible for the noncatalytic Heck coupling reaction in supercritical water, that is, ion and water-catalyzed mechanisms have been considered.     

Use of Cellulase Inhibitors to Produce Cellobiose

The economics driving biorefinery development requires high value-added products such as cellobiose for financial feasibility. This research describes a simple technology for increasing cellobiose yields during lignocellulosic hydrolysis. The yield of cellobiose produced during cellulose hydrolysis was maximized by modification of reaction conditions. The addition of an inhibitor from the group that includes glucose oxidase, gluconolactone, and gluconic acid during cellulase hydrolysis of cellulose increased the amount of cellobiose produced. The optimal conditions for cellobiose production were determined for four factors; reaction time, cellulase concentration, cellulose concentration, and inhibitor concentration using a Box-Behnken experimental design. Gluconolactone in the cellulase system resulted in the greatest production of cellobiose (31.2%) from cellulose. The yield of cellobiose was 23.7% with glucose oxidase, similar to 21.9% with gluconic acid.