Cellulose production based on hemicellulose hydrolysate from steam-pretreated willow

The production cost of cellulolytic enzymes is a major contributor to the high cost of ethanol production from lignocellulosics using enzymatic hydrolysis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the cellulolytic enzyme production ofTrichoderma reesei Rut C 30, which is known as a good cellulase secreting micro-organism, using willow as the carbon source. The willow, which is a fast-growing energy crop in Sweden, was impregnated with 1–4% SO₂ and steam-pretreated for 5 min at 206°C. The pretreated willow was washed and the wash water, which contains several soluble sugars from the hemicellulose, was supplemented with fibrous pretreated willow and used for enzyme production. In addition to sugars, the liquid contains degradation products such as acetic acid, furfural, and 5-hydroxy-methylfurfural, which are inhibitory for microorganisms. The results showed that 50% of the cellulose can be replaced with sugars from the wash water. The highest enzyme activity, 1.79 FPU/mL and yield, 133 FPU/g carbohydrate, was obtained at pH 6.0 using 20 g/L carbon source concentration. At lower pHs, a total lack of growth and enzyme production was observed, which probably could be explained by furfural inhibition.     

Determination of Aroma Compounds in Blackberry by GC/MS Analysis

The aromatic composition of five blackberry cultivars (Bursa 2, Navaho, Nessy, Chester Thornless, and Jumbo) was studied. The Im-SPME (Immersion Solid Phase Micro Extraction) extraction technique was applied and the samples were analyzed by GC/MS. Furfural and its derivatives were found to be the major aromatic compounds and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural was the most abundant compound in all the blackberry varieties.     

Excess molar enthalpies for binary liquid mixtures of furfural with some aromatic hydrocarbons

The excess molar enthalpies H _m ^E for the binary mixtures of furfural with the aromatic hydrocarbons namely benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and o-, m-, and p-xylenes were determined at 35°C. The values for all the mixtures studied are positive over the entire range of composition and follow the order: o-xylene>m-xylene>ethylbenzene>p-xylene>benzene>toluene. The results are discussed in terms of the unlike specific interactions present in the binary mixtures.     

Synthesis of furan dimer‐based polyamides with a high melting point

Polyamide composed of furan dimer, which is prepared from biomass‐derived organic molecule 2‐furfural, is synthesized. The reaction of 2,2′‐furan dimer 5,5′‐dicarbonyl chloride with several 1,ω‐diamines was carried out with a solution or interfacial polycondensation leading to the corresponding polyamide. Measurement of the melting point was performed resulting to exhibit a higher temperature compared with the related polyamide bearing a single furan ring composed of furan‐2,5‐dicarboxylic acid (FDCA). Thermal analyses (TG–DTA) also indicated higher temperatures of decomposition than those of FDCA‐derived polyamide. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 1516–1519     

Volatiles,color characteristics and other physico–chemical parameters of commercial Moroccan honeys

Seven commercial Moroccan honeys were considered for chemical characterisation. Volatile fraction, total polyphenols content, antioxidant and antiradical activities were evaluated by employing different analytical methodologies. Several physical parameters such as refractive index, pH, water content, solids content and colour were measured. Volatile fraction revealed an abundant presence of cis- and trans-linalool oxide in the seven studied samples. The presence of high levels of compounds related to the Maillard reaction, like furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural, could be the result of thermal treatments used to liquefy commercial honeys or of long storage times. The CIE L^*a^*b^*C_ab^*h_ab° chromatic coordinates confirmed the advanced stage of the Maillard reaction, showing L^* values lower than the common values found for honey of similar typologies.     

Aqueous-phase catalytic hydrogenation of furfural to cyclopentanol over Cu-Mg-Al hydrotalcites derived catalysts: Model reaction for upgrading of bio-oil

A series of Cu-Mg-Al hydrotalcites derived oxides with a (Cu+Mg)/Al mole ratio of 3 and varied Cu/Mg mole ratio (from 0.07 to 0.30) were prepared by co-precipitation and calcination methods, then they were introduced to the hydrogenation of furfural in aqueous-phase. Effects of Cu/Mg mole ratio, reaction temperature, initial hydrogen pressure, reaction time and catalyst amount on the conversion rate of furfural as well as the selectivity toward desired product cyclopentanol were systematically investigated. The conversion of furfural over calcined hydrotalcite catalyst with a Cu/Mg mole ratio of 0.2 was up to 98.5% when the reaction was carried out under 140 °C and the initial hydrogen pressure of 4 MPa for 10 h, while the selectivity toward cyclopentanol was up to 94.8%. The catalysts were characterized by XRD and SEM. XRD diffraction of all the samples showed characteristic pattern of hydrotalcite with varied peak intensity as a result of different Cu content. The catalytic activity was improved gradually with the increase of Cu component in the hydrotalcite.     

Raney Ni催化生物基糠醛还原胺化合成糠胺

生物质衍生物糠醛还原胺化是合成糠胺的一种有效方法。本文以糠醛为原料、氨水为氨源,使用商业Raney Ni催化糠醛还原胺化合成糠胺,考察了氢压、温度、n(糠醛)/n(氨水)、溶剂、催化剂用量等条件对反应的影响。实验结果表明：在1,4-二氧六环溶剂中,0.03 g Raney Ni、n(糠醛)/n(氨水)=1/2、130 ℃、2.0 MPa H₂条件下反应3 h,糠醛转化率100%,糠胺选择性96.3%。与传统方法相比,该工艺实现了非贵金属催化剂作用下高选择性反应,具有操作简单、低成本、收率高等优点。      

Process Development for the Detoxification of Fermentation Inhibitors from Acid Pretreated Microalgae Hydrolysate

The aim of this study was to remove 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (5-HMF) and furfural, known as fermentation inhibitors, in acid pretreated hydrolysates (APH) obtained from Scenedesmus obliquus using activated carbon. Microwave-assisted pretreatment was used to produce APH containing glucose, xylose, and fermentation inhibitors (5-HMF, furfural). The response surface methodology was applied to optimize key detoxification variables such as temperature (16.5–58.5 °C), time (0.5–5.5 h), and solid–liquid (S-L) ratio of activated carbon (0.6–7.4 w/v%). Three variables showed significant effects on the removal of fermentation inhibitors. The optimum detoxification conditions with the maximum removal of fermentation inhibitors and the minimum loss of sugars (glucose and xylose) were as follows: temperature of 36.6 °C, extraction time of 3.86 h, and S-L ratio of 3.3 w/v%. Under these conditions, removal of 5-HMF, furfural, and sugars were 71.6, 83.1, and 2.44%, respectively, which agreed closely with the predicted values. When the APH and detoxified APH were used for ethanol fermentation by S. cerevisiae, the ethanol produced was 38.5% and 84.5% of the theoretical yields, respectively, which confirmed that detoxification using activated carbon was effective in removing fermentation inhibitors and increasing fermentation yield without significant removal of fermentable sugars.     

脱水Ni-Fe类水滑石的制备及其作为环保型催化剂用于生物质糠醛的高选择性缩醛化反应

合成了含硝酸根离子的脱水Ni-Fe类水滑石（Ni-Fe HTLCs）并将其应用于室温下的糠醛缩醛化反应。脱水Ni-Fe HTLCs对糠醛缩醛化反应显示出高选择性并基本实现糠醛的完全转化。作为耐水的路易斯酸和脱水剂,脱水Ni-Fe HTLCs被证明是适用于糠醛缩醛化反应的高效双功能催化剂。通过研究发现,脱除Ni-Fe HTLCs中水分导致颗粒收缩并增强层板间硝酸根离子间的电荷互斥,Ni-Fe HTLCs中弱酸性位点在糠醛缩醛化中发挥重要作用,脱水可改变酸性位点结构并增强其活性。脱水Ni-Fe HTLCs可吸收缩醛化反应中产生的大部分水分,但吸水后Ni-Fe HTLCs的结构并不能完全恢复,这可能是由扩散进入HTLCs层板间的有机分子导致。     

镍基催化剂：制备及水相催化糠醛加氢脱氧反应性能

以SiO₂-Al₂O₃、γ-Al₂O₃为载体采用浸渍法制备了不同负载量的镍基催化剂,以XRD、H₂-TPR、NH₃-TPD与低温N₂吸附等技术对催化剂特性进行了表征,并进行了水相催化糠醛加氢脱氧实验研究以制备以C₅为主要成分的生物汽油。重点考察了催化剂的镍负载量、载体种类及反应温度对糠醛转化率、目标产物C₅选择性的影响,并对催化剂的重复利用性能和糠醛水相加氢脱氧反应机理进行了探讨。结果表明,Ni/SiO₂-Al₂O₃催化性能明显优于Ni/γ-Al₂O₃。在140 ℃、氢冷压3.0 MPa的优化反应条件下,14wt% Ni/SiO₂-Al₂O₃催化糠醛反应的转化率为63%,C₅选择性高达93%。升高反应温度可以提高糠醛的转化率,但反应产物的选择性降低。催化剂在第3次重复使用时糠醛的转化率明显降低,催化剂表面有明显的残留有机聚合物和积碳,达到25wt%左右。