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Lignin surface area influenced by biomass heterogeneity and pretreatment process

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Abstract

Biomass conversion is challenged by the heterogeneity and lignin, a component that acts as a barrier to the enzymatic hydrolysis of polysaccharides. This study evaluated the effect of pretreatments on different fractions of sugarcane biomass lignin and cellulose exposure. Two different methods were used: dilute sulfuric acid (5%, 10%, and 20% w/w at 121 °C/30 min) and partial delignification with sodium chlorite (30% m/m at 70 °C/1 h) to reduce the exposed surface of lignin. The surface area of ​​lignin was obtained through the cationic dye Azure B, and cellulose access by enzymatic hydrolysis (15 FPU/g for 24 h—Cellic Cetec 2—Novozymes) was employed. Acid pretreatment was efficient in hemicellulose removal, and delignification removed lignin from all the biomasses fractions. Azure B dyes determined the surface area filled with lignin after dilute sulfuric acid pretreatment and partial delignification. The sample with the largest total surface area of lignin (52 m2/g of material) was the leaf pretreated with 5% sulfuric acid. The external fraction presented the largest specific surface area (240 m2/g) after partial delignification. These results indicate that reducing the lignin surface area enhances the glucose yield of enzymatic hydrolysis.

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Funding

This study was supported by the Brazilian Council for Research and Development (CNPq, process 401900/2016–9) and São Paulo Research Foundation (Fapesp, process 2017/22401–8).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Research in Bioenergy (IPBEN), University of São Paulo State (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP, 13500-230, Brazil

    Gabriel Oliveira de Azevedo, Felipe Lange Shimizu & Michel Brienzo

  2. Biochemistry and Microbiology Department, University of São Paulo State (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900, Brazil

    Luciana Coelho Fontes & Jonas Contiero

Authors
  1. Gabriel Oliveira de Azevedo
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  2. Felipe Lange Shimizu
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  3. Luciana Coelho Fontes
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  4. Jonas Contiero
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  5. Michel Brienzo
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Correspondence to Michel Brienzo.

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de Azevedo, G.O., Shimizu, F.L., Fontes, L.C. et al. Lignin surface area influenced by biomass heterogeneity and pretreatment process. Biomass Conv. Bioref. 14, 477–488 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-021-02264-5

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