Efficient pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass is a critical factor for the production of affordable biofuels and bioproducts. We have demonstrated that pretreatment using ionic liquids (ILs) is one of the most effective methods for producing high yields of biomass-derived fermentable sugars. We are also exploring the utility of a related class of compounds, deep eutectic solvents, for their ability to pretreat lignocellulose. Our current research focuses on developing IL pretreatment technologies that enable the efficient depolymerization of both polysaccharides and lignin that can be tightly integrated with downstream processes, including saccharification and fermentation.
Projects
- Gaining a mechanistic understanding and optimization of ionic liquid and deep eutectic solvent Pretreatment
- Discovery of new biocompatible ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents for integrated pretreatment, saccharification and fermentation
- Optimization of pretreatment of natural and modified feedstocks under high-solids loading
- Improving ionic liquid pretreatment process economics
Featured Media
Scientists Harness CO2 to Consolidate Biofuel Production Process
Turning ubiquitous lignin into high-value chemicals
One-Stop Shop for Biofuels
Bionic Liquids from Lignin
New Advance in Biofuel Production
Biofuels Blend Right In
Featured Publications
- “High loading solubilization and upgrading of poly(ethylene terephthalate) in low cost bifunctional ionic liquid”, ChemSusChem (2017)
- “Cascade production of lactic acid from universal types of sugars catalyzed by lanthanum triflate”, ChemSusChem (2017)
- “Decoding how a soil bacterium extracts building blocks and metabolic energy from ligninolysis provides road map for lignin valorization”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2016)
- “CO2 enabled process integration for the production of cellulosic ethanol using bionic liquids”, Energy & Environmental Science (2016)
- “Transforming biomass conversion with ionic liquids: process intensification and the development of a high-gravity, one-pot process for the production of cellulosic ethanol”, Energy & Environmental Science (2016)
- “Next-generation ammonia pretreatment enhances cellulosic biofuel production”, Energy & Environmental Science (2016)
- “Theory, practice and prospects of X-ray and neutron scattering for lignocellulosic biomass characterization: towards understanding biomass pretreatment”, Energy & Environmental Science (2015)
Featured Intellectual Property
- Renewable Chemicals Produced from Lignin
- Ionic Liquids from Lignin-derived Compounds
- Sugar Extraction and Ionic Liquid Recycling Using Alkaline Solutions
- Mixed Bioenergy Feedstock Processing Using Ionic Liquids
- Enhanced Ionic Liquid Biomass Pretreatment
- Acid Hydrolysis of Biomass and Increased Sugar Recovery by Solvent Extraction
- Fractionation and Removal of Solutes from Ionic Liquids
- Recovery of Sugars by Solvent Extraction