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Depolymerization of Cellulosic Biomass Catalyzed by Activated Carbons

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Reaction Pathways and Mechanisms in Thermocatalytic Biomass Conversion I

Part of the book series: Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technology ((GCST))

Abstract

Efficient hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass to glucose is a grand challenge for the realization of a nonfood biorefinery. In recent years, solid catalysts have attracted significant attention for biomass conversion, as they can be separated from product solutions and their functions can be designed. In this chapter, we describe activated carbons that can hydrolyze cellulose and real biomass to glucose in yields up to 88 % in the presence of a trace amount of hydrochloric acid. Creating contacts between the solid catalyst and the solid substrate by ball-milling is the key to realizing the potential of this catalytic system. Activated carbon adsorbs cellulosic molecules by van der Waals forces, CH−π hydrogen bonds, and hydrophobic interactions between the polyaromatic surface of the carbon and the axial planes of glucans, namely, hydrophobic groups. Subsequently, the weakly acidic groups of the carbon surface such as carboxylic acids cleave the glycosidic bonds of cellulose via oxocarbenium intermediates, for which the salicylic acid structure is especially effective.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Catalysis Research Center, Hokkaido University, Kita 21 Nishi 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0021, Japan

    Hirokazu Kobayashi, Mizuho Yabushita & Atsushi Fukuoka

Authors
  1. Hirokazu Kobayashi
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  2. Mizuho Yabushita
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  3. Atsushi Fukuoka
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Atsushi Fukuoka .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

    Marcel Schlaf

  2. Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China

    Z. Conrad Zhang

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Kobayashi, H., Yabushita, M., Fukuoka, A. (2016). Depolymerization of Cellulosic Biomass Catalyzed by Activated Carbons. In: Schlaf, M., Zhang, Z. (eds) Reaction Pathways and Mechanisms in Thermocatalytic Biomass Conversion I. Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-688-1_2

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