Fenton Depolymerization of Cellulosic Biomass in Modified Cuprammonium Solution

Abstract

This preliminary study developed a novel cellulose pretreatment method for cost-effective cellulosic utilization using a modified cuprammonium solution as a solvent to dissolve cellulose followed by molecular oxygen/Fenton depolymerization. The modified cuprammonium solution is composed of cuprammonium solution and a special catalyst that could efficiently enhance cellulosic oxygen sensitivity and therefore improve cellulosic depolymerization. The molecular oxygen depolymerization and Fenton depolymerization of cellulosic biomass dissolved in the modified cuprammonium solution were investigated. The results demonstrate that the Fenton reaction efficiently depolymerized the cellulose dissolved in the modified cuprammonium solution and reached the monomers with no loss of organic carbon, and almost all the cellulose maintained solubility without reagglomeration after cuprammonium was removed. Molecular oxygen oxidation reduced the cellulose average degree of polymerization (DP) to approximately 4 with less cost, and the oxygen pre-oxidation increased the H2O2 utilization in the Fenton depolymerization and remarkably reduced the H2O2 requirement.

Telescopic synthesis of cellulose nanofibrils with a stable dispersion of Fe(0) nanoparticles for synergistic removal of 5-fluorouracil

“…Evidently, the raise in Fe(II) increased the extent of delignification, generation of iron oxide residues. Low concentrations of Fe(II) consistently doubled the efficiency of oxidation, giving rise to a maximum of ~64.5% of delignification 14 . The hydroxyl radicals generated during Fenton oxidation were selectively targeted towards lignin, which turned out to be an efficient method for the delignification of lignocellulose 16 .…”

“…Ergo, the chemical and electrocatalytic activities during the depolymerization of lignocellulosic materials augment cellulose recovery and facilitate the development of more promising substances 10–13 . Meanwhile, Fenton oxidation deconstructs lignin polymers and can further depolymerize cellulosic as well as hemicellulosic substances under mild conditions 14–16 .…”