Boreskov Institute of Catalysis SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia

ACID-CATALYZED CONVERSION OF MISCANTHUSAND GIANT REED INTO CHEMICALSPP-47Anna Maria Raspolli Galletti 1 , Enrico Bonari 2 ,Claudia Antonetti 1 , Valentina De Luise 1 , Marco Martinelli 1 , Nicoletta Nassi 21 Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa,Via Risorgimento 35, 56126, Pisa, Italy, roxy@dcci.unipi.it2 Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, 56100 Pisa, ItalyBiomass represents a sustainable alternative to fossil resources in order toproduce chemicals, fuels and innovative materials [1]. In this context, the exploitationof lignocellulosic biomass from herbaceous cropping systems can represent avaluable opportunity for rural areas. In particular perennial grasses, as miscanthus(Miscanthus giganteus) and giant reed (Arundo donax L.) seem to be especiallysuited as feedstock due to their high productivity (about 35 and 25 t ha –1 year –1 of drymatter for giant reed and miscanthus respectively) and low input requirements, interms of fertilisation and irrigation level [2]. Nevertheless very little is reported aboutthe use of these grasses for catalytic conversion into chemicals.Now we have studied and patented [3] a new process for the complete andefficient acid-catalyzed exploitation of the three components (hemicellulose, celluloseand lignin) of these lignocellulosic materials.This process allows to obtain in the same time with high yields furfural andlevulinic acid (4-oxopentanoic acid) using one or more proton acids working onaqueous biomass slurry.The solid lignin residue, recovered at the end of the process, has been suitablyemployed for many valuable technological applications.This study has been carried out both under traditional heating and usingmicrowaves-irradiation: in this last case the reaction time is significantly reducedwithout detrimental effects on the yields.It is remarkable that under the optimized conditions only negligible amounts ofsoluble by-products or polymeric black solids, which cause the reactor clogging, aredetected.References:[1]. A. Corma, S. Iborra, A. Velty, Chem. Rev. 2007, 107, 2411-2502.[2]. L.G. Angelini, L. Ceccarini, N. Nassi, E. Bonari, Biomass Bioenerg. 2009, 33, 635-643.[3]. A.M. Raspolli Galletti, E. Ribechini, M. Martinelli, E. Bonari, N. Nassi, L.G. Angelini, It. Pat. Appl.FI A000210 2009.137