Abstract In this work, protic ionic liquid, 1-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate (HMIMHSO4) and gamma-valerolactone (GVL) were explored with respect to their effects on levulinic acid production directly from cotton stalks and pine using the acidic catalyst, CrCl3.6H2O in a hydrothermal reactor. GVL as a biomass-derived solvent resulted in higher yields of levulinic acid compared to HMIMHSO4 which

Abstract Amphoteric aminophenol compounds have diverse synthetic and industrial use due to their multi-functional chemical reactivity. In this study, the synthesis of amphoteric flavonoid compounds via chemical modification with sub- and supercritical ammonia was explored. Both product formation and degree of amination of both catechin and condensed tannins were dependent on the processing conditions

Abstract Hydrophobic/oleophilic filters have great potential for application in oil/water separation. Herein, we describe the successful preparation of environment friendly superhydrophobic cellulosic fiber filter to remove water from diesel. The modified TiO2 particles were used to fabricate the rough structure of superhydrophobic filter paper via a dip-coating method with epoxy resin as a binder

Abstract Porous active carbon electrode (PACE) materials in this work were prepared by a two-step method, which includes carbonization and KOH activation of dried lotus stalk at relatively high temperatures in an argon atmosphere. These processes produced a great number of disordered micropores and mesopores, thereby significantly increasing the specific surface area, up to 1022 m2 g−1. Those pores

Abstract In the present work, bagasse hemicelluloses were crosslinked using citric acid as a nontoxic crosslinking agent to improve the wet strength of hemicelluloses/SPI composite films at moderate relative humidity (RH). Fourier transform infrared and thermal analysis confirmed the formation of ester crosslinks between hemicelluloses and citric acid and led to lower the degradation temperature. The

Abstract A chemometric approach is presented to differentiate and segregate bark biomass variability by proportionating the chemical functionality of components based on solid state NMR. Bark can vary from the tree base to the canopy, and as a biomass source, it would be desirable to assess and predict bark compositional variations to optimize biomass use. In this study, principal component analysis

Abstract Although the removal of lignin and hemicelluloses from cellulose pulp to produce fully bleached cellulose nanofibrils (B-CNF) is the most common practice, the presence of residual lignin and hemicelluloses in raw materials for the production of lignin containing cellulose nanofibrils (LCNFs) holds several advantages. In this work, we investigated the effect of residual lignin in Eucalyptus

Abstract The esterification of rosin with pentaerythritol (PE) was studied, using pressurized CO2 as an intensified additive to high-temperature water (HTW), which formed the various esters with different soften points to meet industrial applications. A multiple linear regression model was established to determine the dependence of independent variables (CO2 pressure, temperature, PE-to-rosin mass

Abstract This paper aims to evaluate treatments on pine strands as well as wood-cement compatibility. The strands were prepared and then were submitted to four treatments (untreated; cold water, hot water and NaOH). Physical, chemical, thermal and mechanical properties of the strands were measured. Wood-cement composites were produced with all strand treatments. To evaluate the strand effects on the

Abstract Microwave-assisted cellulose grafting of eugenol was performed in order to incorporate bioactive capabilities to paper for food active packaging. The reaction was optimized using a Doehlert experimental design with three variables: power (200–300 W), time (120–240 s), and eugenol content (2–8 wt%) at constant molar ratio of BTCA:eugenol and SPHI:eugenol (2:1 and 1:1, respectively). The best

Abstract The influence of pine wood (Pinus Sylvestris) prehydrolysis on the consumption of main reagents (O2 and NaOH) in the subsequent catalyzed oxidation of the obtained lignocelluloses into vanillin and pulp has been studied. Prehydrolysis of the feedstock was performed with HCl in the water and gas phases. Catalytic oxidation was performed in an autoclave in an aqueous–alkaline medium in the presence

Novel ultralight porous fiber-based composites are a very attractive subject in the material chemistry and are enabled to promise applications in the sound absorption fields. In this work, it reported a facile strategy to prepare the flame-retardant, sound-absorbing, and mechanical enhancement porous fiber-based composites (PFC-EM-x) by using natural cellulose fiber, glass fiber, and flame retardant

In this study, polystyrene modified Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood was investigated upon artificial weathering, decay resistance, dimensional stability and water uptake properties. Polystyrene modification was carried out on pretreated wood by immersion of wood into styrene monomer and further polymerization. The resistance of modified wood against cycles of UV and water exposures was examined

The present study concerns a practical approach to survey water sorption properties of ionic liquid ([EMIM]OAc) treated papers with and without chemical crosslinking. Ionic liquid (IL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([EMIM]OAc) can be used to transform sulfate pulp paper to regenerated cellulose film-like material. The fusion process increases both the dry and wet strength of the paper, improves

In this study, potential bioactive compounds in the products of the solid fermentation of the paper mulberry tree bark (Broussonetia papyrifera) with a white rot fungus (Perenniporia tephropora) were investigated. Fractionation of methanolic extracts from the fermented products of the bark led to the isolation of 10 known compounds, namely broussonin B (1), broussonin A (2), 7,4'-dihydroxy-3'-prenylflavan

Chopped stems of Prosopis juliflora, an invasive xerophyte, were digested in a laboratory digester following alkaline sulfite pulping process to generate spent liquor whereby lignin underwent sulfonation to produce sodium lignosulfonate (SLS). SLS was concentrated from the spent liquor by ultrafiltration. Raw wood was featured by high lignin (23.5%), low extractives (1.0%), low wax (0.41), and low

The most common non-phenolic β-O-4-type lignin model compounds with or without the γ-hydroxymethyl group (C6-C3- or C6-C2-type, respectively) were treated in a 0.5 mol/L potassium tert-butoxide in DMSO solution at 30 °C to examine the effects of presence of the group. The β-O-4 bond of the C6-C3-type cleaved more rapidly than the C6-C2-type, indicating that the γ-hydroxy group contributes to the cleavage

Chopped stems of Prosopis juliflora, an invasive xerophyte, were digested in a laboratory digester following alkaline sulfite pulping process to generate spent liquor whereby lignin underwent sulfonation to produce sodium lignosulfonate (SLS). SLS was concentrated from the spent liquor by ultrafiltration. Raw wood was featured by high lignin (23.5%), low extractives (1.0%), low wax (0.41), and low

In this study, potential bioactive compounds in the products of the solid fermentation of the paper mulberry tree bark (Broussonetia papyrifera) with a white rot fungus (Perenniporia tephropora) were investigated. Fractionation of methanolic extracts from the fermented products of the bark led to the isolation of 10 known compounds, namely broussonin B (1), broussonin A (2), 7,4'-dihydroxy-3'-prenylflavan

Eucalyptus nitens wood samples were treated with hot, compressed water (autohydrolysis) to solubilize the hemicellulosic fraction, and the resulting solid (autohydrolyzed wood) was delignified in media containing water and an acidic ionic liquid (either 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate or triethylammonium hydrogen sulfate). The solid yields and the compositional changes caused by delignification

In the after-fire restoration of the buildings belonging to the culture heritage, the use of salvaged scorched wood elements is desirable but often leading to the long-term malodorous, irritating, or unhealthy emissions. To reduce them while preserving the authenticity as much as possible, the micro-abrasive cleaning method was tested on samples from a burned-down historical wooden building. Volatile

Changes in the lignin structure of eight eucalypt species (E. botryoides, E. globulus, E. grandis, E. maculata, E. propinqua, E. rudis, E. saligna, and E. viminalis) upon mild thermal treatment, where the temperature was gradually raised from 160 to 230 °C over 3 h, were studied by solid-state carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) and after lignin isolation from the wood by acidolysis employing

In the first part of the present work, relevant findings concerning the laccase (Lacc) activation of alkyl gallates, and its implementation in developing hydrophobic properties on cellulose-based substrates are reported. Surface state energy by water contact angle (CA), absorption tests, and Cobb60 measurements were used to assess the hydrophobic behavior of treated substrates. SEM images of paper

Lipophilic extractives in the dichloromethane extract from Eucalyptus pellita wood and bark were identified by GC-MS. Of the various morphological parts, the bark samples contain more extractives than wood samples. The largest extractive content was measured in the bark of the top part. Four groups (i.e., free fatty acids, sterols-steroids, triterpenoids, and other compounds) were detected in all parts

Succinic acid has been characterized as a commodity chemical and attractive compound as it has wide applications as a key building block for various high value-added chemicals. In this study, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process conditions for the production of succinic acid from oil palm empty fruit bunches by Actinobacillus succinogenes (A. succinogenes) were statistically

Low-molecular-weight 1,3-dimethylol-4,5-dihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU) was used to modify bamboo strips catalyzed by maleic anhydride. In this study, response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the treatment conditions for DMDHEU modification of bamboo. Three selected parameters, DMDHEU concentration, curing temperature, and curing time, were further optimized using response surface

Production of particleboards is associated with volatile organic compounds emissions, many of which have odorous properties. The objective is to determine whether the odor emissions from the production, using spruce and aspen as raw material, comply with the local odor limit defined in a specific way—an hourly average odor concentration leading to 16% odor annoyance and not being exceeded more than

Galactomannans are a widely used polysaccharide. In this study, galactomannans were oxidized using galactose oxidase, aided by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and catalase. Then, a small amount of hydrogen peroxide was used to oxidize the reaction products in order to prepare the paper strengthening agents. The optimal oxidation conditions were investigated according to the properties of the paper, which

CF4 plasma treatment of a Teflon-like (1,1,1,2 tetrafluoroethane, TFE) chemical spray deposited on paper resulted in an increased level of elemental fluorine on the paper surface. However, TFE molecules undergo bond cleavage and ionization in the presence of the RF-CF4 plasma environment. The abundant fluorine radicals grafted onto the paper surface, via the substitution and opening of the bonds in

Biphenyl linkage is the second most abundant linkage in softwood lignin; the β-O-4′ linkage being the most abundant linkage. That about 20–28% of monolignols are linked by biphenyl linkage has been demonstrated by UV spectroscopy, permanganate oxidation, 13C NMR, and thioacidolysis followed by 31P NMR. Most, if not all, of the biphenyl structures in softwood lignin are etherified, indicating that biphenyl

Metal salts application on wood surface is a simple and nontoxic method that can be used for wood color modification, which is induced by the formation of colored complexes between wood extractives and metal ions. In this study, we have combined several analytical methods to understand the color development for four North American hardwood species: white oak, red oak, sugar maple and yellow birch.

Indoor pollutants, such as formaldehyde, pose an increasing threat to human health. Here, regenerated cellulose was combined with a novel visible light-responsive photocatalyst, La0.3Sr0.7TiO3, to prepare a cellulose-based filler that was used to prepare a visible light-responsive photocatalytic paper. The effects of the molecular formula of the photocatalyst, the amount of photocatalyst in the filler

Lignin biochar-catalytic depolymerization using biochar Fe-600, Fe-800, Ni-600, Ni-800 catalysts under microwave-heating (180 °C for 30 min) was explored in an ethanol/formic acid (1:1) media. Non-catalyst depolymerization was also studied and compared with the biochar-catalysts results. Characteristics of the bio-char catalysts were analyze by BET, XRD, and FT-IR. GPC, FT-IR, and MALDI-TOF MS spectrometry

The forestry industry in the Basque Country has experienced an abandonment of small-sized forests in which native and introduced species tend to regrow if unattended; thus, requiring an intervention under which proper forest management is implemented. This paper evaluates the potential fractionation of lignin and cellulose from six tree species coming from such mixed forests as a value-added use of

Along with cellulose, lignin is one of the most common polymers of plant origin. Numerous studies show that the complex and irregular structure of lignin is still unknown. First of all, the existing problems are connected with the peculiarities of lignins as a natural chemical compound. In this paper the general regularities of the chemical structure of dioxane lignins isolated from the softwood –

Polyelectrolyte complexes composed of lignosulfonate and cationic polyelectrolytes were used as bio-based adhesives. Sodium lignosulfonate (L-SO3Na), a wood-derived anionic polyelectrolyte, was combined with three different cationic polyelectrolytes and the adhesive strength of the resulting complexes was evaluated on various substrates. Higher adhesive strength was observed with polar substrates (stainless

Processive endoglucanase EG1 and its core domain, EG1(CD), were used to pretreat the commercial dissolving pulp to improve cellulose reactivity. The Fock reactivity of the pulp which was treated with EG1 and EG1 (CD) at 50 U/g enzyme loading increased from 74.3% of the control to 90.6% and 88.4%, respectively. Refining also improved the Fock reactivity of the pulp, but not as effective as EG1 or EG1(CD)

Enhancing cellulase recyclability is a promising approach to reducing the high enzyme cost for activation of dissolving pulp. For this purpose, Tween 80, an amphiphilic surfactant, was employed to facilitate cellulase recovery from fibers. Results indicated that the Cellulase–Tween complex was formed (with a particle size increase of 140%) through a hydrophobic interaction. A much lower maximum binding

Structural colors are environmentally beneficial as they originate from the physical structure of the material, and they cannot be imitated by chemical dyes and are free from photo-bleaching. In this study, structurally colored wood was prepared by building a structurally colored film based on a wood substrate. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy

Laurel tree (Laurus nobilis L.) wood is a byproduct of the pruning of this tree widely cultivated for its aromatic leaves. The phenolic composition of laurel wood has not been reported yet. The aim of this work was to study the phenolic profile of an ethyl acetate extract of laurel wood in order to know its potential as a source of antioxidants and valuable compounds. Three flavan-3-ols, 4 dimeric

Fast-growing eucalyptus (Eucalyptus robusta Smith) and poplar (Populus tomentosa Carr.) were impregnated with melamine–urea–formaldehyde (MUF) resin by vacuum. The weight percent gain (WPG), water absorption, bulking rates, anti-swelling efficiency (ASE), and density distribution of the impregnated wood were examined. The characterization of eucalyptus and poplar was performed by Fourier transform

Quaternized lignin-based flocculant (QL) was prepared by a single-step reaction of an extracted lignin (EL) derived from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) with 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl trimethylammonium chloride (CHPTAC) under alkaline condition. The performance of QLs was studied for various β values (molar ratios of CHPTAC to phenylpropanoid unit of lignin), flocculant dosages, pH values, kaolin

Radiata pine (Pinus radiata Don.) sapwood was treated with an aqueous dispersion solution of styrene/acrylic acid (St/AA) copolymer (5, 15, or 25%) and the treatment effect on weathering of wood was determined. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggested that the St/AA treatment delayed lignin degradation during artificial weathering; the protection effect

The effects of incorporation of nano-CuO into phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin during sythesis on curing kinetics, nano-CuO structure and bond quality were investigated on orientated strand board (OSB). Apparent activation energy of the PF resins modified with CuO was decreased during the reaction indicating an acceleration of both addition and condensation reactions. X-ray diffraction data indicated

Flexible supercapacitors (FSCs) have attracted widespread attention of many researchers as a type of portable energy storage devices. However, there are still challenges in preparing renewable and inexpensive electrode materials. Herein, we prepared the porous carbon (PC) by the two-step process involving hydrothermal method and low-temperature heat treatment using corn cob lignin as the carbon source

When exposed to moisture, wood undergoes swelling and is susceptible to fungal degradation. Chemical modification via oligomeric lactic acid (OLA) treatment has been found to be a promising environmentally friendly solution to this disadvantage. In this study, wood was impregnated with OLA and then variously heat treated to polymerize the OLA in situ. The effect of curing temperature and time on OLA

Functionalized graphene oxide (FGO) modified by H3BO3 and (C2H5O)3–Si–(CH2)3NH2 was prepared and applied as an intumescent flame retardant (IFR) coating to reduce thermal transmission to a substrate and enhance fire resistance. Its structural features were tested using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive

Eucalyptus globulus wood samples were subjected to hydrothermal processing according to a three-stage, crossflow scheme with intercalated washing stages. The operational conditions for each hydrothermal stage were selected based on previous experiments, as the kinetics and yields depended on the composition of the reaction media. The solid recovery yields as well as the compositions of the various

Subcritical water was applied to produce bio-oil from a 21-year-old abandoned oil palm trunk (OPT). The effects of reaction temperature, time, part of trunk taken, and optimum reaction condition were investigated. Higher heating values (HHVs), CHNS/O elemental and GC-MS analysis were performed to characterize the bio-oil. The subcritical water temperatures were manipulated between 100 °C and 370 °C

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) has a wide range of applications in food, chemical, pharmaceutical industries, etc. In this study, the one-step preparation of MCC from bleached Kraft bamboo pulp (BKBP) by extremely low acid (ELA; acid concentration ≤0.1 wt %) was demonstrated. The experimental data indicate that the crystallinity, degree of polymerization (DP), and yield of MCC were strongly affected

This article describes the biological activities of heartwood extracts from Yakushima native cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) and identifies their main active compounds. Black heartwood and red heartwood were each divided into two parts from the center (the pith) to outer heartwood (the cambium). The methanol extracts of those parts were screened for antioxidant and anti-lipase activities. The extract

This article reports on direct electrospinning of water-soluble cellulose acetate (WSCA) and cellulose diacetate (CDA) onto a non-conductive synthetic polymer sheet such as polyurethane (PU) sheet to modify its surface morphology. The direct electrospinning was successfully performed after spraying an anti-static agent on the PU sheet. Furthermore, tight fixation of the fibers was achieved by spraying

Previous studies have clearly demonstrated that the polyphenols of the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction in the heartwood extract from Acacia confusa (AcHWE) had good photostabilities to prevent photodegradation of wood. The wood photostabilizing actions of condensed tannins and flavonoids from the EtOAc fraction in AcHWE have been individually established, but the effects of these polyphenols on photo-induced

This study aimed to investigate the structural features, antioxidant activity, tyrosinase inhibitory effect, and mechanism of proanthocyanidins from leaf and fruit of Leucaena leucocephala. MALDI-TOF-MS, thiolysis coupled with HPLC-ESI-MS, and 13C-NMR confirmed that these proanthocyanidins were complex mixtures of propelargonidins, procyanidins, and prodelphinidins. (Epi)catechin, (epi)gallocatechin

Oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber (OPEFB) is a lignocellulosic waste from palm oil mills. It is a potential source of glucose and xylose that can be used as raw materials for the production of valuable compounds such as succinic acid. The present study aims at producing biodegradable polyesters from OPEFB-derived monomer using enzymatic polymerization. Cellulose was extracted from OPEFB by using organosolv

Owing to its high abundance, high availability, and eco-friendly properties, lignin is currently considered a potential candidate for replacement of petroleum-based plastics. However, the direct incorporation of lignin in bioplastics is not highly efficient and is difficult to carry out due to the complex and heterogeneous structure of lignin. In order to utilize lignin in the production of value-added

Silicon, while not an essential element, is known to have positive roles in certain vegetable species. For instance, it has been recognized to protect them from biotic and abiotic stress. Due to the fact that certain species accumulate the aforementioned element in their tissues, the determination of its concentration is of importance in different disciplines, such as dendrology, plant physiology,

During mechanical defibration of wood, a minor fraction of the wood mass is dissolved in the process water. These dissolved substances represent an extra energy demand when they are treated in the mill’s wastewater treatment plant. Galactoglucomannan, the main hemicellulose in spruce, can be recovered from thermomechanical pulp mill process water by a process based on microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration

Kraft lignin is water insoluble and has limited end-use applications. To produce water soluble lignin-based products, the modification of softwood kraft lignin through phenolation followed by sulfonation of sulfuric acid or sodium sulfite treatment were investigated in this work. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometer, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and thermo-gravimetric analysis were

The compatibility of three different types of lignin, such as Kraft lignin, Organosolv lignin, and lignosulfonate, with PLA, in particular without the addition of any further reagents or compatibilizers, is investigated. The unmodified lignins were thoroughly characterized to establish their interaction potential in lignin-PLA composite formation. The obtained double-extruded binary systems containing