Hydrothermal hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose from birch wood catalyzed by Al2O3-B2O3 mixed oxides

• Published in: Wood science and technology 2022-03, Vol.56 (2), p.437-457
• Main Authors: Tarabanko, Nikolay, Baryshnikov, Sergey V., Kazachenko, Aleksandr S., Miroshnikova, AngelinaV, Skripnikov, Andrey M., Lavrenov, Alexander V., Taran, Oxana P., Kuznetsov, Boris N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accumulation; Acids; Aluminum oxide; Argonaute 2 protein; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Boron oxides; Catalysts; Cellooligosaccharides; Cellulose; Ceramics; Chemisorption; Composites; Conversion; Crystalline cellulose; Deactivation; Furfural; Glass; Glucose; Hardwoods; Hydrolysis; Hydroxymethylfurfural; Levulinic acid; Life Sciences; Machines; Manufacturing; Mixed oxides; Natural Materials; Oligosaccharides; Original; Planetary mills; Processes; Wood Science & Technology
• ISSN: 0043-7719; 1432-5225
• DOI: 10.1007/s00226-022-01363-4

Hydrothermal transformation of microcrystalline cellulose (isolated from birch wood) under the influence of Al 2 O 3 -B 2 O 3 mixed oxide solid acid catalysts was studied at temperatures of 180 and 215 °C (catalyst and cellulose were mix-milled in an AGO-2 planetary mill). At 180 °C, during the first hour, the average accumulation rates of glucose and 5 hydroxymethylfurfural attain 1030 and 320 mg of product per gram catalyst per hour, respectively. This activity exceeds typical values for sulfonated carbons bearing a similar concentration of acid groups (2.5 times faster glucose accumulation, 4.4 times faster 5-hydroxymethylfurfural accumulation). However, rapid accumulation of unhydrolyzed cellooligosaccharides in the reaction solution causes inhibition of the hydrolysis process after the first hour, probably via oligosaccharide chemisorption on the catalytically active acid sites, which leads to their deactivation. After the process at 180 °C, the catalysts can be washed with water and used again without significant loss of the catalytic performance; after four consecutive runs with the same catalyst, the combined yield of glucose, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and furfural decreases by 15% compared with the first run. While the catalysts show considerable activity toward acid conversion of glucose into 5-hydroxymethyl furfural, the commonly observed next stage of such conversion into levulinic acid notably does not occur at 180 °C and proceeds at 215 °C.