Enhancing lignocellulosic biorefinery sustainability: mechanisms and optimization of microwave-responsive deep eutectic solvents for rapid delignification

Attaining sustainability and carbon neutrality necessitates a transition towards cleaner biorefinery, while the exploitation of sustainable and eco-friendly pretreatment techniques, as a pivotal stage in lignocellulose biorefinery, represents a challenge. Here, an ultrafast biomass pretreatment stra...

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Main Authors: Huan Wang, Jiasheng Chen, Zhengfei Pei, Jinshu Huang, Junqi Wang, Song Yang, Hu Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Alpha Creation Enterprise 2025-03-01
Series:Biofuel Research Journal
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Online Access:https://www.biofueljournal.com/article_216412_c4640616862aa60f67842e533f2fbdfd.pdf
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author Huan Wang
Jiasheng Chen
Zhengfei Pei
Jinshu Huang
Junqi Wang
Song Yang
Hu Li
author_facet Huan Wang
Jiasheng Chen
Zhengfei Pei
Jinshu Huang
Junqi Wang
Song Yang
Hu Li
author_sort Huan Wang
collection DOAJ
description Attaining sustainability and carbon neutrality necessitates a transition towards cleaner biorefinery, while the exploitation of sustainable and eco-friendly pretreatment techniques, as a pivotal stage in lignocellulose biorefinery, represents a challenge. Here, an ultrafast biomass pretreatment strategy enabled by microwave (MW) responsive deep eutectic solvent (DES) is proposed. The solvent properties (Kamlet-Taft parameters) of DES under MW participation are closely correlated with wheat straw fractionation efficiency. The lignin removal exhibits a positive correlation with polarity/polarizability (π*) and hydrogen-bond-donating ability (α), establishing a strong relationship between the tunable DES properties and MW responsiveness. MW reinforces the delignification efficiency of DES with relatively high π* and α, as corroborated by comparative analysis with conventional heating (CH) pretreatment. The reinforcement by MW moderates the pretreatment process and enables ultrafast lignocellulose deconstruction (130 ℃, 150 s, and 96.1% lignin removal), subsequently with 92.4% enzymatic hydrolysis and 8.8 g microbial lipid/100 g wheat straw at a remarkably low severity factor (R0). Life cycle assessment manifests the environmental benefits of MW-assisted DES in mitigating impacts by 63.1%, including global warming potential, resource depletion-fossil fuels, and ecotoxicity, in comparison to CH pretreatment. MW-DES exhibits an economic superiority based on life cycle cost analysis, with pretreatment cost 44.1% lower than CH-DES. The mechanistic insights into MW intensification of DES with specific properties provide a viable protocol for tailoring green solvents with enhanced MW responsiveness for efficient and sustainable biorefineries.
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spelling doaj-art-db49a8b472f44eb896f0ccd97340ddff2025-08-20T02:54:49ZengAlpha Creation EnterpriseBiofuel Research Journal2292-87822025-03-011212306231810.18331/BRJ2025.12.1.3216412Enhancing lignocellulosic biorefinery sustainability: mechanisms and optimization of microwave-responsive deep eutectic solvents for rapid delignificationHuan Wang0Jiasheng Chen1Zhengfei Pei2Jinshu Huang3Junqi Wang4Song Yang5Hu Li6State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, State-Local Joint Laboratory for Comprehensive Utilization of Biomass, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550025, China.State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, State-Local Joint Laboratory for Comprehensive Utilization of Biomass, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550025, China.State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, State-Local Joint Laboratory for Comprehensive Utilization of Biomass, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550025, China.State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, State-Local Joint Laboratory for Comprehensive Utilization of Biomass, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550025, China.Department of Earth and Environmental Science, School of Human Settlements and Civil Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710049, China.State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, State-Local Joint Laboratory for Comprehensive Utilization of Biomass, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550025, China.State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, State-Local Joint Laboratory for Comprehensive Utilization of Biomass, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550025, China.Attaining sustainability and carbon neutrality necessitates a transition towards cleaner biorefinery, while the exploitation of sustainable and eco-friendly pretreatment techniques, as a pivotal stage in lignocellulose biorefinery, represents a challenge. Here, an ultrafast biomass pretreatment strategy enabled by microwave (MW) responsive deep eutectic solvent (DES) is proposed. The solvent properties (Kamlet-Taft parameters) of DES under MW participation are closely correlated with wheat straw fractionation efficiency. The lignin removal exhibits a positive correlation with polarity/polarizability (π*) and hydrogen-bond-donating ability (α), establishing a strong relationship between the tunable DES properties and MW responsiveness. MW reinforces the delignification efficiency of DES with relatively high π* and α, as corroborated by comparative analysis with conventional heating (CH) pretreatment. The reinforcement by MW moderates the pretreatment process and enables ultrafast lignocellulose deconstruction (130 ℃, 150 s, and 96.1% lignin removal), subsequently with 92.4% enzymatic hydrolysis and 8.8 g microbial lipid/100 g wheat straw at a remarkably low severity factor (R0). Life cycle assessment manifests the environmental benefits of MW-assisted DES in mitigating impacts by 63.1%, including global warming potential, resource depletion-fossil fuels, and ecotoxicity, in comparison to CH pretreatment. MW-DES exhibits an economic superiority based on life cycle cost analysis, with pretreatment cost 44.1% lower than CH-DES. The mechanistic insights into MW intensification of DES with specific properties provide a viable protocol for tailoring green solvents with enhanced MW responsiveness for efficient and sustainable biorefineries.https://www.biofueljournal.com/article_216412_c4640616862aa60f67842e533f2fbdfd.pdfbiomass pretreatmentdelignification mechanismdeep eutectic solventmicrobial lipidlife cycle assessment
spellingShingle Huan Wang
Jiasheng Chen
Zhengfei Pei
Jinshu Huang
Junqi Wang
Song Yang
Hu Li
Enhancing lignocellulosic biorefinery sustainability: mechanisms and optimization of microwave-responsive deep eutectic solvents for rapid delignification
Biofuel Research Journal
biomass pretreatment
delignification mechanism
deep eutectic solvent
microbial lipid
life cycle assessment
title Enhancing lignocellulosic biorefinery sustainability: mechanisms and optimization of microwave-responsive deep eutectic solvents for rapid delignification
title_full Enhancing lignocellulosic biorefinery sustainability: mechanisms and optimization of microwave-responsive deep eutectic solvents for rapid delignification
title_fullStr Enhancing lignocellulosic biorefinery sustainability: mechanisms and optimization of microwave-responsive deep eutectic solvents for rapid delignification
title_full_unstemmed Enhancing lignocellulosic biorefinery sustainability: mechanisms and optimization of microwave-responsive deep eutectic solvents for rapid delignification
title_short Enhancing lignocellulosic biorefinery sustainability: mechanisms and optimization of microwave-responsive deep eutectic solvents for rapid delignification
title_sort enhancing lignocellulosic biorefinery sustainability mechanisms and optimization of microwave responsive deep eutectic solvents for rapid delignification
topic biomass pretreatment
delignification mechanism
deep eutectic solvent
microbial lipid
life cycle assessment
url https://www.biofueljournal.com/article_216412_c4640616862aa60f67842e533f2fbdfd.pdf
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