Lignin derived hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents as sustainable extractants

Yuxuan Zhang; Qi Qiao; Usman L. Abbas; Jun Liu; Yi Zheng; Christopher Jones; Qing Shao; Jian Shi

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135808

Lignin derived hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents as sustainable extractants

Yuxuan Zhang, Qi Qiao, Usman L. Abbas, Jun Liu, Yi Zheng, Christopher Jones, Qing Shao, Jian Shi

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Solvent innovation has become a central task for improving the sustainability of chemical processes¹. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) emerge as environmentally friendly alternatives to toxic and volatile organic solvents. One appealing aspect for DESs is that they can be synthesized using naturally occurring compounds from biomass. Herein, we prepared novel hydrophobic DESs based on lignin derivatives and characterized their physicochemical properties including density, viscosity, and thermal behavior. The results showed that five lignin-derived hydrophobic DESs made from menthol, thymol, and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol were promising as green solvents due to their low viscosities and environmentally friendly constituents. To evaluate the potential application of these DESs, liquid-liquid extraction was performed to recover the typical biofuel fermentation products including acetone, ethanol, n-butanol, and isopentanol from aqueous solutions. High distribution coefficients, selectivity, and recovery rates for acetone, n-butanol, and isopentanol were achieved with the thymol: 2,6-dimethoxyphenol DESs. Moreover, molecular dynamic simulations were conducted to investigate the DES molecular interactions and formation mechanism. This work demonstrates the potential of lignin derived hydrophobic DESs for applications as sustainable extraction media.

Original language	English
Article number	135808
Journal	Journal of Cleaner Production
Volume	388
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135808
State	Published - Feb 15 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors acknowledge US Department of Agriculture , National Institute of Food and Agriculture (under contract #1015068 and # 1018315 ) and University of Kentucky Igniting Research Collaborations for financial support of the research. We thank Ming Wang, YT Cheng, Andrew Drake, Steve Rankin, and Doo Young Kim at the University of Kentucky for their help on the viscosity, DSC, and FTIR measurements. We are also grateful to Thomas A. Everett from the Enhanced Oil Recovery Laboratory at Purdue University for density analysis.

Funding Information:
The authors acknowledge US Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (under contract #1015068 and #1018315) and University of Kentucky Igniting Research Collaborations for financial support of the research. We thank Ming Wang, YT Cheng, Andrew Drake, Steve Rankin, and Doo Young Kim at the University of Kentucky for their help on the viscosity, DSC, and FTIR measurements. We are also grateful to Thomas A. Everett from the Enhanced Oil Recovery Laboratory at Purdue University for density analysis.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd

Keywords

Biofuel
Green solvent
Liquid-liquid extraction
Molecular simulations

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Environmental Science (all)
Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Strategy and Management

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135808

Cite this

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title = "Lignin derived hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents as sustainable extractants",

abstract = "Solvent innovation has become a central task for improving the sustainability of chemical processes1. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) emerge as environmentally friendly alternatives to toxic and volatile organic solvents. One appealing aspect for DESs is that they can be synthesized using naturally occurring compounds from biomass. Herein, we prepared novel hydrophobic DESs based on lignin derivatives and characterized their physicochemical properties including density, viscosity, and thermal behavior. The results showed that five lignin-derived hydrophobic DESs made from menthol, thymol, and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol were promising as green solvents due to their low viscosities and environmentally friendly constituents. To evaluate the potential application of these DESs, liquid-liquid extraction was performed to recover the typical biofuel fermentation products including acetone, ethanol, n-butanol, and isopentanol from aqueous solutions. High distribution coefficients, selectivity, and recovery rates for acetone, n-butanol, and isopentanol were achieved with the thymol: 2,6-dimethoxyphenol DESs. Moreover, molecular dynamic simulations were conducted to investigate the DES molecular interactions and formation mechanism. This work demonstrates the potential of lignin derived hydrophobic DESs for applications as sustainable extraction media.",

keywords = "Biofuel, Green solvent, Liquid-liquid extraction, Molecular simulations",

author = "Yuxuan Zhang and Qi Qiao and Abbas, {Usman L.} and Jun Liu and Yi Zheng and Christopher Jones and Qing Shao and Jian Shi",

note = "Funding Information: The authors acknowledge US Department of Agriculture , National Institute of Food and Agriculture (under contract #1015068 and # 1018315 ) and University of Kentucky Igniting Research Collaborations for financial support of the research. We thank Ming Wang, YT Cheng, Andrew Drake, Steve Rankin, and Doo Young Kim at the University of Kentucky for their help on the viscosity, DSC, and FTIR measurements. We are also grateful to Thomas A. Everett from the Enhanced Oil Recovery Laboratory at Purdue University for density analysis. Funding Information: The authors acknowledge US Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (under contract #1015068 and #1018315) and University of Kentucky Igniting Research Collaborations for financial support of the research. We thank Ming Wang, YT Cheng, Andrew Drake, Steve Rankin, and Doo Young Kim at the University of Kentucky for their help on the viscosity, DSC, and FTIR measurements. We are also grateful to Thomas A. Everett from the Enhanced Oil Recovery Laboratory at Purdue University for density analysis. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Elsevier Ltd",

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doi = "10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135808",

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T1 - Lignin derived hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents as sustainable extractants

AU - Zhang, Yuxuan

AU - Qiao, Qi

AU - Abbas, Usman L.

AU - Liu, Jun

AU - Zheng, Yi

AU - Jones, Christopher

AU - Shao, Qing

AU - Shi, Jian

N1 - Funding Information: The authors acknowledge US Department of Agriculture , National Institute of Food and Agriculture (under contract #1015068 and # 1018315 ) and University of Kentucky Igniting Research Collaborations for financial support of the research. We thank Ming Wang, YT Cheng, Andrew Drake, Steve Rankin, and Doo Young Kim at the University of Kentucky for their help on the viscosity, DSC, and FTIR measurements. We are also grateful to Thomas A. Everett from the Enhanced Oil Recovery Laboratory at Purdue University for density analysis. Funding Information: The authors acknowledge US Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (under contract #1015068 and #1018315) and University of Kentucky Igniting Research Collaborations for financial support of the research. We thank Ming Wang, YT Cheng, Andrew Drake, Steve Rankin, and Doo Young Kim at the University of Kentucky for their help on the viscosity, DSC, and FTIR measurements. We are also grateful to Thomas A. Everett from the Enhanced Oil Recovery Laboratory at Purdue University for density analysis. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Elsevier Ltd

PY - 2023/2/15

Y1 - 2023/2/15

N2 - Solvent innovation has become a central task for improving the sustainability of chemical processes1. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) emerge as environmentally friendly alternatives to toxic and volatile organic solvents. One appealing aspect for DESs is that they can be synthesized using naturally occurring compounds from biomass. Herein, we prepared novel hydrophobic DESs based on lignin derivatives and characterized their physicochemical properties including density, viscosity, and thermal behavior. The results showed that five lignin-derived hydrophobic DESs made from menthol, thymol, and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol were promising as green solvents due to their low viscosities and environmentally friendly constituents. To evaluate the potential application of these DESs, liquid-liquid extraction was performed to recover the typical biofuel fermentation products including acetone, ethanol, n-butanol, and isopentanol from aqueous solutions. High distribution coefficients, selectivity, and recovery rates for acetone, n-butanol, and isopentanol were achieved with the thymol: 2,6-dimethoxyphenol DESs. Moreover, molecular dynamic simulations were conducted to investigate the DES molecular interactions and formation mechanism. This work demonstrates the potential of lignin derived hydrophobic DESs for applications as sustainable extraction media.

AB - Solvent innovation has become a central task for improving the sustainability of chemical processes1. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) emerge as environmentally friendly alternatives to toxic and volatile organic solvents. One appealing aspect for DESs is that they can be synthesized using naturally occurring compounds from biomass. Herein, we prepared novel hydrophobic DESs based on lignin derivatives and characterized their physicochemical properties including density, viscosity, and thermal behavior. The results showed that five lignin-derived hydrophobic DESs made from menthol, thymol, and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol were promising as green solvents due to their low viscosities and environmentally friendly constituents. To evaluate the potential application of these DESs, liquid-liquid extraction was performed to recover the typical biofuel fermentation products including acetone, ethanol, n-butanol, and isopentanol from aqueous solutions. High distribution coefficients, selectivity, and recovery rates for acetone, n-butanol, and isopentanol were achieved with the thymol: 2,6-dimethoxyphenol DESs. Moreover, molecular dynamic simulations were conducted to investigate the DES molecular interactions and formation mechanism. This work demonstrates the potential of lignin derived hydrophobic DESs for applications as sustainable extraction media.

KW - Biofuel

KW - Green solvent

KW - Liquid-liquid extraction

KW - Molecular simulations

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Lignin derived hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents as sustainable extractants

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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