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Molecules
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Bioconversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass and Process Intensification
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Bioconversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass and Process Intensification

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2022) | Viewed by 16209

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xuebing Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Applied Chemistry, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Interests: biofuels; biorefinery; lignocellulosic bioethanol; lignocellulosic biomass conversion; biomass pretreatment; enzymatic hydrolysis; direct-biomass fuel cells
Prof. Dr. Keke Cheng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemical Engineering and Energy Technology, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China
Interests: biofuel and bio-products based on lignocellulose

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lignocellulosic biomass has attracted great interest in recent decades for the production of biofuels, chemicals, materials, and electricity. Bioconversion is one of the promising pathways for utilization of lignocellulose. However, there are various challenges in the bioconversion of lignocellulose in terms of pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation, product recovery, and process integration. This Special Issue will cover a wide range of research areas related to the bioconversion of biomass, including but not limited to the following:

  1. Novel pretreatment to overcome biomass recalcitrance;
  2. Interaction between cellulases and process intensification of the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose;
  3. Conversion of lignocellulosic biomass with microbial consortium;
  4. Modification and engineering of microorganisms to increase their tolerance to inhibitors;
  5. Screening or construction of novel strains to produce chemicals and fuels from biomass;
  6. Novel technology for recovery and purification of production from biomass-fermentation broth;
  7. Integration, simulation, optimization, and techno-economic evaluation of biomass bioconversion processes. 

Dr. Xuebing Zhao
Prof. Keke Cheng
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biomass
  • bioconversion
  • pretreatment
  • enzymatic hydrolysis
  • microbial degradation
  • biofuels
  • biochemicals

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 3572 KiB  
Article
Conversion of Cellulose and Lignin Residues into Transparent UV-Blocking Composite Films
by Fan Yang, Lu Xu, Guodong Dai, Lin Luo, Kaifeng Yang, Churui Huang, Dong Tian and Fei Shen
Molecules 2022, 27(5), 1637; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27051637 - 01 Mar 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2772
Abstract
The valorization of cellulose and lignin residues in an integrated biorefinery is of great significance to improve the overall economics but has been challenged by their structural recalcitrance, especially for lignin residue. In this work, a facile chemical conversion route to fabricating functional [...] Read more.
The valorization of cellulose and lignin residues in an integrated biorefinery is of great significance to improve the overall economics but has been challenged by their structural recalcitrance, especially for lignin residue. In this work, a facile chemical conversion route to fabricating functional UV-blocking cellulose/lignin composite films through a facile dissolution–regeneration process using these biomass residues was proposed. Three representative lignin residues, i.e., aspen and poplar wood lignin, and corn stover (CS) lignin were assessed for their feasibility for the film fabrication. The UV-blocking performance of the composite films were comparatively investigated. Results showed that all these three lignin residues could enhance the UV-blocking property of the composite films, corresponding to the reduction in the optical energy band gap from 4.31 to 3.72 eV, while poplar lignin had a considerable content of chromophores and showed the best UV-blocking enhancement among these three assessing lignins. The enhancement of UV-blocking property was achieved without compromising the visible-light transparency, mechanical strength and thermal stability of the composite films even at 4% lignin loading. This work showed the high promise of integrating biomass residue conversion into lignocellulose biorefinery for a multi-production purpose. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioconversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass and Process Intensification)
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15 pages, 3843 KiB  
Article
Valorization of Rice Straw via Hydrotropic Lignin Extraction and Its Characterization
by Chongxin Yin, Min Wang, Qingzhi Ma, Huiyang Bian, Hao Ren, Hongqi Dai and Jinlan Cheng
Molecules 2021, 26(14), 4123; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26144123 - 06 Jul 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2501
Abstract
Rice straw hydrotropic lignin was extracted from p-Toluene sulfonic acid (p-TsOH) fractionation with a different combined delignification factor (CDF). Hydrotropic lignin characterization was systematically investigated, and alkaline lignin was also studied for the contrast. Results showed that the hydrotropic rice [...] Read more.
Rice straw hydrotropic lignin was extracted from p-Toluene sulfonic acid (p-TsOH) fractionation with a different combined delignification factor (CDF). Hydrotropic lignin characterization was systematically investigated, and alkaline lignin was also studied for the contrast. Results showed that the hydrotropic rice straw lignin particle was in nanometer scopes. Compared with alkaline lignin, the hydrotropic lignin had greater molecular weight. NMR analysis showed that β-aryl ether linkage was well preserved at low severities, and the unsaturation in the side chain of hydrotropic lignin was high. H units and G units were preferentially degraded and subsequently condensed at high severity. High severity also resulted in the cleavage of part β-aryl ether linkage. 31P-NMR showed the decrease in aliphatic hydroxyl groups and the increasing carboxyl group content at high severity. The maximum weight loss temperature of the hydrotropic lignin was in the range of 330–350 °C, higher than the alkaline lignin, and the glass conversion temperature (Tg) of the hydrotropic lignin was in the range of 107–125 °C, lower than that of the alkaline lignin. The hydrotropic lignin has high β-aryl ether linkage content, high activity, nanoscale particle size, and low Tg, which is beneficial for its further valorization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioconversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass and Process Intensification)
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19 pages, 5987 KiB  
Article
Screening and Comparison of Lignin Degradation Microbial Consortia from Wooden Antiques
by Wen Zhang, Xueyan Ren, Qiong Lei and Lei Wang
Molecules 2021, 26(10), 2862; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26102862 - 12 May 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4376
Abstract
Lignin, which is a component of wood, is difficult to degrade in nature. However, serious decay caused by microbial consortia can happen to wooden antiques during the preservation process. This study successfully screened four microbial consortia with lignin degradation capabilities (J-1, J-6, J-8 [...] Read more.
Lignin, which is a component of wood, is difficult to degrade in nature. However, serious decay caused by microbial consortia can happen to wooden antiques during the preservation process. This study successfully screened four microbial consortia with lignin degradation capabilities (J-1, J-6, J-8 and J-15) from decayed wooden antiques. Their compositions were identified by genomic sequencing, while the degradation products were analyzed by GC-MS. The lignin degradation efficiency of J-6 reached 54% after 48 h with an initial lignin concentration of 0.5 g/L at pH 4 and rotation speed of 200 rpm. The fungal consortium of J-6 contained Saccharomycetales (98.92%) and Ascomycota (0.56%), which accounted for 31% of the total biomass. The main bacteria in J-6 were Shinella sp. (47.38%), Cupriavidus sp. (29.84%), and Bosea sp. (7.96%). The strongest degradation performance of J-6 corresponded to its composition, where Saccharomycetales likely adapted to the system and improved lignin degradation enzymes activities, and the abundant bacterial consortium accelerated lignin decomposition. Our work demonstrated the potential utilization of microbial consortia via the synergy of microbial consortia, which may overcome the shortcomings of traditional lignin biodegradation when using a single strain, and the potential use of J-6 for lignin degradation/removal applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioconversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass and Process Intensification)
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15 pages, 1276 KiB  
Article
Phenomenological Modeling of Formic Acid Fractionation of Sugarcane Bagasse by Integration of Operation Parameters as an Extended Combined Severity Factor
by Xiaogang Chang, Jingzhi Zhang, Ruchun Wu and Xuebing Zhao
Molecules 2021, 26(9), 2753; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26092753 - 07 May 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1722
Abstract
In order to more conveniently simulate and optimize the solubilization of sugarcane bagasse components during formic acid (FA) fractionation, an extended combined severity factor (CSFext) was defined to integrate various operation parameters as a single factor. Two phenomenological models based [...] Read more.
In order to more conveniently simulate and optimize the solubilization of sugarcane bagasse components during formic acid (FA) fractionation, an extended combined severity factor (CSFext) was defined to integrate various operation parameters as a single factor. Two phenomenological models based on Arrhenius and Logistic equations were further used to describe the phenomenological kinetics. Different data-processing methods were compared to fit the severity parameters and model constants. Both Arrhenius-based and Logistic-based models show satisfying fitting results, though the values of Arrhenius-based CSFext (A-CSFext) and Logistic-based CSFext (L-CSFext) were somewhat different under the same fractionation condition. The solubilization of biomass components increased with CSFext, but two distinct stages could be observed with inflection points at A-CSFext of 42 or L-CSFext of 43, corresponding to bulk and residual solubilization stages, respectively. For the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulosic solids, the highest initial enzymatic glucan conversion (EGC@6h) was obtained at A-CSFext of 39–40 or A-CSFext of 40–41; however, for a long hydrolysis period (72 h), relatively high glucan conversion (EGC@72h) was observed at A-CSFext of 42–43 or A-CSFext of 43–44. Post-treatment for deformylation with a small amount of lime could help to recover the cellulose digestibility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioconversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass and Process Intensification)
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Review

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16 pages, 1531 KiB  
Review
Challenges and Future Perspectives of Promising Biotechnologies for Lignocellulosic Biorefinery
by Yansong Liu, Yunhan Tang, Haiyan Gao, Wenming Zhang, Yujia Jiang, Fengxue Xin and Min Jiang
Molecules 2021, 26(17), 5411; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26175411 - 06 Sep 2021
Cited by 40 | Viewed by 3845
Abstract
Lignocellulose is a kind of renewable bioresource containing abundant polysaccharides, which can be used for biochemicals and biofuels production. However, the complex structure hinders the final efficiency of lignocellulosic biorefinery. This review comprehensively summarizes the hydrolases and typical microorganisms for lignocellulosic degradation. Moreover, [...] Read more.
Lignocellulose is a kind of renewable bioresource containing abundant polysaccharides, which can be used for biochemicals and biofuels production. However, the complex structure hinders the final efficiency of lignocellulosic biorefinery. This review comprehensively summarizes the hydrolases and typical microorganisms for lignocellulosic degradation. Moreover, the commonly used bioprocesses for lignocellulosic biorefinery are also discussed, including separated hydrolysis and fermentation, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation and consolidated bioprocessing. Among these methods, construction of microbial co-culturing systems via consolidated bioprocessing is regarded as a potential strategy to efficiently produce biochemicals and biofuels, providing theoretical direction for constructing efficient and stable biorefinery process system in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioconversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass and Process Intensification)
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