Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jussi Vainonpoika Rissanen, Lucas Lagerquist, Jarl Hemming, Kari Eranen, Patrik Eklund, Henrik Grenman
Summary: The aim of this study was to examine the influence of the oxygen atmosphere on hydrothermal fractionation of Norway spruce. The results show that the fractionation can be considerably enhanced by low concentrations of oxygen. A mathematical model was developed to analyze the extraction kinetics, revealing the activation energy and reaction orders. The method is easily applicable and can obtain non-toxic extracts without the need for costly separation steps, while also improving energy, space, and time efficiency.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zao Li, Yiyuan Jiang, Yuncong Li, Heng Zhang, Hu Li, Song Yang
Summary: The effective upgrading of renewable resources into high value-added chemicals through Diels-Alder (DA)/aromatization is important for sustainable economic development and the practical implementation of carbon neutral technologies. This mini-review focuses on the state-of-the-art progress in the DA strategy of bio-based furans, discussing the research developments and future challenges in the production of renewable aromatic hydrocarbons. The effects of substituent properties on the reactivity of furan dienes and the activation strategy of electron-poor furan derivatives in the DA reaction are also analyzed. The DA/aromatization mechanisms of bioderived furan derivatives are further depicted to provide an in-depth understanding.
CATALYSIS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yanfei Ren, Ranran Fu, Kuanjun Fang, Ruyi Xie, Longyun Hao, Weichao Chen, Zhen Shi
Summary: This research utilized different surfactant fermentation systems to transfer prodigiosins from the interior of thalli to the exterior, achieving efficient clean extraction. The extracted prodigiosins were used as natural dyestuff for acrylic fabric dyeing, and cationic dyeing technology based on nanosuspension system was developed to endow acrylic fabric with deep color and antibacterial functionality. This method has potential generalization for other microbial pigments.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Marta Ramos-Andres, Beatriz Aguilera-Torre, Juan Garcia-Serna
Summary: This study utilized ultrafiltration technology to obtain purified freeze-dried fractions of hemicelluloses and pectins of different molecular weights from discarded hot carrots, achieving better separation and purification during the diafiltration process.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Fanyan Zeng, Shanshan Wang, Jiarui Liang, Liming Cao, Xiaoxu Liu, Chengrong Qin, Chen Liang, Chuanling Si, Zebin Yu, Shuangquan Yao
Summary: In this study, the separation of bamboo hemicellulose was successfully achieved via a one-step freeze-thaw-assisted alkali treatment (OFT/AT). The selectivity of hemicellulose separation was improved, leading to a higher separation yield compared to conventional freeze-thaw-assisted alkaline treatment (FT/AT). The inhibition of lignin and cellulose separation was observed as the alkali concentration decreased, while the extraction yield of hemicellulose increased. Structural analysis revealed that the extracted hemicellulose had a relatively complete molecular structure, providing theoretical support for efficient hemicellulose separation by alkali treatment.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tiprawee Tongtummachat, Attasak Jaree, Nattee Akkarawatkhoosith
Summary: An effective method for continuous furfural production from xylose using formic acid and aluminum chloride as catalyst in an organic solvent-free system was proposed. The influence of operating conditions on furfural yield was investigated and optimized. The study also demonstrated a continuous in situ catalyst removal method, providing insights into practical continuous furfural production.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Nur Izyan Wan Azelee, Hilman Ibnu Mahdi, Yu-Shen Cheng, Norhafiza Nordin, Rosli Md Illias, Roshanida A. Rahman, Shalyda Md Shaarani, Pankaj Bhatt, Sudesh Yadav, Soon Woong Chang, Balasubramani Ravindran, Veeramuthu Ashokkumar
Summary: This article discusses the most effective methods for extracting and fractionating hemicellulose from complex lignocellulosic biomass. It addresses the challenges and problems in hemicellulose separation, and examines the impact of heterogeneous biomass types, cultivation and harvesting times, accessible surface areas, and functional groups on purity. The article also provides several efficient strategies for hemicellulose extraction and fractionation, with biological pre-treatment using enzymes and bacteria being highlighted as the most effective method.
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Cesar D. Pinales-Marquez, Rosa M. Rodriguez-Jasso, Rafael G. Araujo, Araceli Loredo-Trevino, Debora Nabarlatz, Beatriz Gullon, Hector A. Ruiz
Summary: Biorefineries are operational processing strategies that use renewable sources to produce high added value compounds, such as xylooligosaccharides (XOs), which can be applied in various fields like food, energy, and materials to promote the sustainability of a circular bioeconomy. This review provides the latest advances in biomass processing and the industrial scale production and commercial potential of XOs in biotechnological applications.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zheng Chen, Yue Rao, Muhammad Usman, Huihui Chen, Andrzej Bialowiec, Shicheng Zhang, Gang Luo
Summary: Hydrothermal conversion is a promising technology for producing bio-fuels from dewatered sewage sludge, but it also generates a significant amount of wastewater. The composition of organic compounds in the wastewater obtained at different temperatures affects the yields of volatile fatty acids through anaerobic fermentation.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zheng Shen, Yishan Gao, Ling Kong, Minyan Gu, Meng Xia, Wenjie Dong, Wei Zhang, Xuefei Zhou, Yalei Zhang
Summary: The utilization of amine-modified Sn-beta catalyst significantly increased the yield of lactic acid produced from Scenedesmus, achieving a maximum yield of 37%. The catalyst contains both Lewis acidic and medium-strength basic sites, which promote the hydrolysis of Scenedesmus and inhibit the production of the byproduct HMF.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anup Kumar Singh, Ajay Kumar Pandey, Mohit Kumar, Tanushree Paul, Naseem A. Gaur
Summary: Due to the availability of abundant feedstocks and the environmentally friendly nature of microbial production processes, the production of potential value-added products from different lignocellulosic biomass is becoming more common. In this study, a potential yeast isolate called Candida tropicalis K2 was identified for xylitol production. The isolate showed the highest potential for xylitol production and tolerance to inhibitors compared to other tested isolates. Under specific conditions, C. tropicalis K2 produced high yields of xylitol in batch fermentation, and even higher yields when glycerol was used as a co-substrate or non-detoxified hydrolysates were used. This finding suggests that C. tropicalis K2 is a promising candidate for xylitol production from various lignocellulosic biomass sources.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yuchao Shao, Weizhong Huo, Rong Ye, Yanqing Liu, Muhammad Ajmal, Wenjing Lu
Summary: This study investigated the humification behavior of lignocellulosic components under acid-alkali two-step hydrothermal treatment and revealed their contribution to hydrothermal humic acid (HHA). It was found that lignin had the highest HHA contribution, while cellulose and hemicellulose had lower contributions. The hydrochar derived from these components showed higher humification capability than the hydrothermal solution. Co-hydrothermal treatment of the components improved HHA production. The chemical characteristics of the resulting HHA products were similar to natural humic acids.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yajun Hou, Shanshan Wang, Baojuan Deng, Yun Ma, Xing Long, Chengrong Qin, Chen Liang, Caoxing Huang, Shuangquan Yao
Summary: This study used hydrothermal pretreatment with ferric chloride and pH buffer to separate poplar components. The optimal conditions were 0.10 M ferric chloride concentration, 150 degrees C reaction temperature, 15 min reaction time, and pH 1.9. The pH buffering resulted in the highest cellulose and lignin retention compared to ferric chloride pretreatment. The high efficiency separation of hemicellulose via HFB pretreatment inhibited the degradation of xylose and the hydrolysate was effectively reused.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Peng Guo, Guo-Cai Yuan, Liu-Hui Xu, Ke-Yin Ye
Summary: A cobalt-catalyzed modular [3 + 2] assembly of unsaturated hydrocarbons and beta-dicarbonyls is reported. This method showcases mild reaction conditions and a wide range of substrates, enabling the synthesis of diverse multi-functionalized dihydrofuran and furan derivatives.
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rong Chen, Cangjie Yang, Zefeng Zhou, Fredrik Haeffner, Alinda Dersjant, Nicholas Dulock, Qi Dong, Da He, Jing Jin, Yanyan Zhao, Jia Niu, Dunwei Wang
Summary: An electrochemical method for coupling biomass-derived C5/C6 compounds to value-added fuel precursors was reported. The reaction, which is not sensitive to oxygen and can be promoted by a trace amount of water, achieves high yield in a single step. Mechanistic studies confirmed radical generation through electrochemistry as the key to the reaction.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Thermodynamics
Hyungseok Nam, Shuang Wang, K. C. Sanjeev, Myung Won Seo, Sushil Adhikari, Rajdeep Shakya, Doyeon Lee, Saravanan R. Shanmugam
ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ravishankar Mahadevan, Sushil Adhikari, Rajdeep Shakya, Oladiran Fasina
Summary: This study examines the contamination of H(+)ZSM-5 catalyst by calcium, potassium, and sodium, and the subsequent changes in the catalyst properties. The results indicate that increasing concentrations of these inorganics lead to a reduction in specific surface area and active sites of the catalyst, as well as a shift in product selectivity towards oxygenated compounds.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Miriam Hyman, Qichen Wang, Alan E. Wilson, Sushil Adhikari, Brendan T. Higgins
Summary: The study found that digestate-grown Chlorella sorokiniana can be used as a feed for Daphnia, leading to higher population growth. Chlorella sorokiniana contains high levels of sterols and alpha-linolenic acid, which are often limiting nutrients for Daphnia diets.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Naresh Shahi, Pixiang Wang, Sushil Adhikari, Byungjin Min, Vijaya K. Rangari
Summary: A novel method was developed to sequentially separate and collect cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and silica from agricultural byproducts, leading to the creation of sustainable value-added materials. Analysis revealed structural variations of the components and potential applications in the biorefinery process or biomaterial industry.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Asmita Khanal, Ashish Manandhar, Sushil Adhikari, Ajay Shah
Summary: This study analyzed the techno-economic feasibility of producing novolac resin by partially substituting petroleum-derived phenol with biomass-based phenol in the U.S. The results showed that the production of biobased novolac resin is economically feasible at the current state of technology and could be an important outlet for diversifying the use of bio-oil.
BIOFUELS BIOPRODUCTS & BIOREFINING-BIOFPR
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Archana Bansode, Mehul Barde, Osei Asafu-Adjaye, Vivek Patil, John Hinkle, Brian K. Via, Sushil Adhikari, Andrew J. Adamczyk, Ramsis Farag, Thomas Elder, Nicole Labbe, Maria L. Auad
Summary: The study investigated the use of lignin and bio-oils as substitutes for phenol in wood adhesives, with lignin from kraft biorefinery showing potential as a substitute in the novolac phenol-formaldehyde resin system. Results indicated significantly different adhesion abilities of the tested adhesives, with 50-NPF-L-KB adhesive demonstrating the highest tensile shear strength compared to other tested adhesives.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pixiang Wang, Sarah Tyndall, Tawsif Rahman, Poulami Roy, Hossein Jahromi, Sushil Adhikari, Melissa Boersma
Summary: This study investigated the sorption of phenolic compounds by bio-char and found that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model described the experimental results well. The Langmuir isotherm model was suitable at high sorption temperatures, while the Freundlich isotherm model was better at low temperatures. Additionally, alkaline desorption and regeneration experiments were conducted, and the eluents with phenolic compounds were characterized using a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Phillip Cross, Kristiina Iisa, Anh To, Mark Nimlos, Daniel Carpenter, Jesse A. Mayer, John C. Cushman, Bishnu Neupane, Glenn C. Miller, Sushil Adhikari, Calvin Mukarakate
Summary: Grindelia squarrosa biomass, with its unique biochemistry and leaf structure, is able to grow well in arid and semiarid climates. It contains high levels of extractable resins that have been found to efficiently produce aromatic hydrocarbons during catalytic fast pyrolysis. The pyrolysis of Grindelia can be used to generate fuels and high-value chemicals.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hossein Jahromi, Sushil Adhikari, Poulami Roy, Madison Shelley, Ehsan Hassani, Tae-Sik Oh
Summary: This study proposes a novel approach to produce biolubricants through the reaction between waste cooking oil and cyclic oxygenated hydrocarbons. The resulting biolubricants have long hydrocarbon chains, low unsaturation, naphthenic rings, and polar molecules, demonstrating good pour-point, viscosity, viscosity index, and volatility properties.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2021)
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mohamed Eisa, Dovile Ragauskaite, Sushil Adhikari, Federico Bella, Jonas Baltrusaitis
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Bijoy Biswas, Avnish Kumar, Bhavya B. Krishna, Jonas Baltrusaitis, Sushil Adhikari, Thallada Bhaskar
Summary: A series of cobalt metal-supported calcium oxide catalysts were synthesized and tested for lignin depolymerization. The highest bio-oil yield of 60.2 wt % was obtained using a 10 wt % Co/CaO catalyst under methanol solvent at 160 degrees C for 60 min reaction time. The catalytic bio-oil showed higher heating value and higher presence of aromatic and methoxy compounds compared to non-catalytic bio-oil. The catalyst also demonstrated good stability and recyclability.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Samuel Krebsbach, Jianzhou He, Sushil Adhikari, Yaniv Olshansky, Farshad Feyzbar, Leonard C. Davis, Tae-Sik Oh, Dengjun Wang
Summary: Biochar is a cost-effective solution for removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water, but the specific physicochemical properties of biochars that determine their PFAS removal remain unknown. In this study, 15 biochars were produced from five feedstocks at three pyrolysis temperatures to investigate their removal efficiency of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), a type of PFAS, from water. It was found that biochar pore diameter was the most critical factor for PFOS removal, but other factors such as pore diameter/pore volume ratio, specific surface area, pyrolysis temperature, hydrophobicity, and elemental composition also played roles. Biochars with small pore diameter, low nitrogen content, and high pyrolysis temperature showed enhanced PFOS sorption. These findings contribute to the understanding of using biochars with optimized properties to remove PFAS compounds from water.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Tawsif Rahman, Hossein Jahromi, Poulami Roy, Ashish Bhattarai, Mohamed Ammar, Jonas Baltrusaitis, Sushil Adhikari
Summary: The widespread use of plastics has caused environmental issues, leading to a growing interest in recycling single-use household plastics. In this study, a mixture of five prominent plastic polymers was depolymerized using a hydrothermal liquefaction process with a pretreated red mud catalyst. The use of the catalyst decreased the yield of single plastics but increased low boiling products in the liquid crude oil.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ashish Bhattarai, Ayden Kemp, Hossein Jahromi, Sagar Kafle, Sushil Adhikari
Summary: This study investigates the thermochemical characterization and kinetics of blends composed of lignite coal, southern pine biomass, and municipal waste plastic blend to optimize the blend proportion. The findings show that increasing biomass content enhances combustion stability and performance. The optimal blend, comprising 60% biomass, 10% coal, and 30% municipal waste plastic blend, achieves the lowest activation energy and is employed as the feedstock for the gasification process.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Khalida Harun, Sushil Adhikari, Hossein Jahromi