Abstract
The transformation of lignocellulosic biomass to value added chemicals in a synergetic effect of sulfated zirconia (SZ) catalyst and ionic liquid was found to effectively depolymerize microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) to sugars and dehydrate sugars to 5-hydroxylmethylfurfural (5-HMF) and levulinic acid (LA). SZ was catalyst synthesized by wet impregnation method with predetermined concentration of sulphuric acid and then characterized using techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), BET-surface area analyzer, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and temperature programmed desorption of ammonia (Ammonia-TPD). SZ catalyst was effective in depolymerizing MCC yielding a maximum of total reducing sugar (TRS) of 57% (38% glucose and 14% fructose), 9.5% LA and 5.1 of 5-HMF at a temperature of 180°C and 3h of depolymerization time. In addition, SZ was tested for dehydration of glucose and fructose and a yield of 26% and 62% of 5-HMF were obtained, respectively.
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Author information
- 1Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110 016, India.
- 2Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110 016, India. Electronic address: kkpant@chemical.iitd.ac.in.
- 3Department of Physical Science, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL 36104, USA.