Controlled reduction of the biomass oxygen content to produce chemicals that retain sufficient functionality for upgrading to a variety of end products is a promising approach for utilization of lignocellulosic biomass. ?-valerolactone (GVL) is a particularly promising cellulose derivative resulting from glucose dehydration and rehydration to levulinic acid followed by hydrogenation, is from which gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel fuel components can be produced. Biomass conversion in GVL/water as a solvent system leads to high overall yields of sugars. Interestingly a large fraction of biomass solids (including lignin) is solubilized in the solvent mixture; and,  lignin-rich fractions can be obtained from the GVL solvent via precipitation. With the rise of lignocellulosic biomass to biofuels initiatives, significant streams of lignin may become available at relatively low cost, offering potential value to industry for production of a range of aromatic chemicals. Currently, the vast majority of lignin streams are burned to aid the energetic balance of their associated process. Understanding the chemical (and physical) properties of these new lignin streams plays an important role in their advanced industrial applications. In this study, GVL-derived lignin fractions from corn stover and a hardwood were analyzed via nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and compared with traditional mild acidolysis and enzyme lignins from the same materials lignin sample.

Characterization of GVL-derived lignin

247th National Meeting (2014)

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