The effects of varying ionic liquid pretreatment parameters on various sources of lignocellulosic biomass have been studied using X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray fiber diffraction and compositional analysis. Comparative enzymatic hydrolysis and sugar analysis were used to relate the observed changes in cellulose structure to biomass digestibility.  The clearest factor associated with enhanced biomass hydrolysis is the conversion of cellulose fibers from the cellulose I to the cellulose II crystal phase. The mechanism that drives the cellulose structural conversion is hypothesized to be a temperature dependent redistribution of lignin.

Mechanism for enhanced hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass by ionic liquid pretreatment

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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