Issue 46, 2013

Novel polymeric solid acid catalysts for cellulose hydrolysis

Abstract

Novel solid polymeric catalysts consisting of polymer chains have been synthesized to facilitate cellulose dissolution and catalyze its hydrolysis. Poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PSSA) polymer chains have been grown from the substrate surface and used to catalyze biomass hydrolysis. Neighboring poly(vinyl imidazolium chloride) ionic liquid (PIL) polymer chains, also grown from the substrate surface, help solubilize lignocellulosic biomass and enhance the catalytic activity of the PSSA chains. The PSSA chains were synthesized via surface initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) whereas the adjacent PIL chains were synthesized via UV-initiated free radical polymerization. These novel polymeric solid acid catalysts demonstrate over 97% and 32% total reducing sugar (TRS) yields from cellulose hydrolysis in [EMIM]Cl and aqueous solutions respectively. The dual ATRP and UV-initiated polymerization schemes allow independent variation of the relative ratio of the two nanostructures as well as the chain length and density. This permits optimization of the catalytic activity for cellulose hydrolysis reaction. These catalysts are stable and maintain high catalytic activity after repeated runs.

Graphical abstract: Novel polymeric solid acid catalysts for cellulose hydrolysis

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 Jul 2013
Accepted
08 Oct 2013
First published
08 Oct 2013

RSC Adv., 2013,3, 24280-24287

Novel polymeric solid acid catalysts for cellulose hydrolysis

X. Qian, J. Lei and S. R. Wickramasinghe, RSC Adv., 2013, 3, 24280 DOI: 10.1039/C3RA43987A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements