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Sustainable extraction of lignocellulosic biomaterials from cereal residue using emerging novel green solvents
* 1, 2 , 2, 3 , 4 , 2, 3
1  School of Food Science and Environmental Health, College of Sciences and Health, Technological University Dublin - City Campus, Grangegorman, Dublin, Ireland
2  Sustainability and Health Research Hub, Technological University Dublin - City Campus, Grangegorman, Dublin, Ireland
3  School of Food Science and Environmental Health, College of Sciences and Health, Technological University Dublin - City Campus, Grangegorman, Dublin, Ireland
4  Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ashtown, Dublin, Ireland
Academic Editor: Maryam Tabrizian

Abstract:

Cereal residues play a critical role in biomass sustainability by offering significant advantages in resource utilization and environmental impact reduction. These byproducts of agricultural activities are produced in significant amounts and can be an important source for the extraction of lignocellulosic biomaterials. In cereal waste, biomaterials such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin are prevalent. To extract these materials, it is necessary to disassemble the complex structure of the biomass in order to release and recover the various constituents. Therefore, this work aimed to develop choline chloride-based novel aqueous deep eutectic solvents for fractionating and recovering individual lignocellulosic biomaterials from cereal waste. The treatment was carried out for up to 5 h at 80°C in an ultrasound bath. Results showed that cellulose content in the treated sample increased to almost 80% compared to around 42% in raw biomass. However, with the increased water content in the solvent from 10% to 30%, the cellulose content in the treated sample was reduced. After purification of the sample at the optimized conditions, the yield of cellulosic biomaterials was found to be in the range of 40 – 45% with a purity of more than 85%. Similarly, the solubilization of lignin reduced with the increase in water content in the solvent. Maximum lignin solubilization of around 75% was achieved with the solvent containing less water. Furthermore, more than 80% hemicellulose solubilization was observed in all experimental conditions. This work indicated that the developed solvent extraction process could efficiently recover valuable lignocellulosic biomaterials from cereal waste. The extraction of biomaterials not only enables the effective usage of cereal residue but also helps to promote a more eco-friendly and resource-efficient bioeconomy.

Keywords: Biomaterials; Cellulose; Lignin; Hemicellulose
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