Depolymerization of cellulose promoted by lignin via oxidation-hydrolysis route

Hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose is one of the most important processes for the conversion of biomass to fuels and chemicals. Besides cellulose, lignin is the third of the main components of native lignocellulose . It is essential to understand the role of lignin in the depolymerization process of cellulose using lignocellulose as raw material. Here, the role of lignin was studied by using a lignin dimer model with a β-O-4 linkage and an organsolv lignin as the additive, respectively, for depolymerization of cellulose via oxidation-hydrolysis method. The results showed that both lignin dimer model and organsolv lignin substantially promoted the oxidation of cellulose and increased the yield of glucose. 30.01% yield of glucose was given for microcrystalline cellulose in present of 10% organsolv lignin, compared to 22.64% glucose yield for pure microcrystalline cellulose. Additionally, the mechanism of the promotion effect of lignin on the oxidation of cellulose process was proposed.