Fractionation by sequential antisolvent precipitation of grass, softwood, and hardwood lignins isolated using low-cost ionic liquids and water
File(s)
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
In this study, fractionation by sequential antisolvent precipitation was applied to ionoSolv lignins for the first time. Pretreatment with the aqueous low-cost protic ionic liquid N,N-dimethylbutylammonium hydrogen sulfate ([DMBA][HSO4], 80 wt % in water) was applied to Miscanthus (herbaceous), willow (hardwood), and pine (softwood) to extract lignin. Then, lignin was sequentially precipitated by the addition of water as an antisolvent. Fractionation appeared to be controlled by the molecular weight of lignin polymers. Fractions isolated with minimal water volumes were shown to have high molecular weight, polydispersity, thermal stability, and Tg (178 °C). Later precipitates were more monodisperse and had high phenolic and total hydroxyl content and lower thermal stability and Tg (136 °C). Addition of 1 g of water per gram of dry IL was able to precipitate up to 90 wt % of lignin. Fractional precipitation represents a novel lignin isolation technique that can be performed as part of the lignin recovery procedure enabling a high degree of control of lignin properties. The effect of the fractionation on lignin structural, chemical, and thermal properties was thoroughly examined by two-dimensional heteronuclear single quantum coherence nuclear magnetic resonance, gel permeation chromatography, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry and compared to the unfractionated lignin precipitate obtained by addition of an excess of water.
Date Issued
2020-03-09
Date Acceptance
2020-02-01
Citation
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2020, 8 (9), pp.3751-3761
ISSN
2168-0485
Publisher
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Start Page
3751
End Page
3761
Journal / Book Title
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
Volume
8
Issue
9
Copyright Statement
© 2020 American Chemical Society. This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b06939
Identifier
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b06939
Subjects
0301 Analytical Chemistry
0502 Environmental Science and Management
0904 Chemical Engineering
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
acssuschemeng.9b06939
Date Publish Online
2020-02-03