A rapid and efficient hydrothermal conversion of coconut husk into formic acid and acetic acid

Coconut husk is an abundant cellulose/lignin-rich biomass waste in tropic and subtropical zone. Although the resource utilization of coconut husk has aroused considerable concerns, highly-efficient and selective conversion of coconut husk into chemicals is difficult due to its stable coexistence structure of cellulose and lignin components. Herein, a facile and high selectively conversion of coconut husk into value-added organic acids of formic and acetic under mild hydrothermal conditions was proposed for the first time. It was found that a simple acidic pretreatment is efficient for obtaining high yield of formic and acetic acids. The highest yield of total acids can reach up to 50.2%, which is the reported highest yield of formic acid and acetic acid from ligno-cellulosic biomass. This work exemplifies the possibility of complex coconut husk waste valorization to value-added chemicals, which is not only solve the problems of coconut husk waste pollution, but also provide an alternative route for fuel production from renewable resources.