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  • Comparative study of organosolv lignin extracted from prairie cordgrass, switchgrass and corn stover.

Comparative study of organosolv lignin extracted from prairie cordgrass, switchgrass and corn stover.

Bioresource technology (2012-06-15)
Iwona Cybulska, Grzegorz Brudecki, Kurt Rosentrater, James L Julson, Hanwu Lei
ABSTRACT

Lignin extracted from prairie cordgrass, switchgrass, and corn stover (using ethyl acetate-ethanol-water organosolv pretreatment) was analyzed and characterized using several methods. These methods included analysis of purity (by determination of Klason lignin, carbohydrate, and ash contents), solubility (with several organic solvents), phenolic group analysis (ultraviolet ionization difference spectra, and nitrobenzene oxidation), and general functional group analysis (by (1)H NMR). Results showed that all the examined lignin samples were relatively pure (contained over 50% Klason lignin, less than 5% carbohydrate contamination, and less than 3% ash), but switchgrass-derived lignin was observed to be the purest. All the lignins were found to contain high amounts of phenolic groups, while switchgrass-derived lignin was the most phenolic, according to the ionization difference spectra. Nitrobenzene oxidation revealed that all the lignin samples contained available guaiacyl units in high amounts.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich
Nitrobenzene, SAJ first grade, ≥99.0%
Supelco
Nitrobenzene, PESTANAL®, analytical standard
Sigma-Aldrich
Nitrobenzene, JIS special grade, ≥99.5%
Sigma-Aldrich
Nitrobenzene, ReagentPlus®, 99%
Sigma-Aldrich
Nitrobenzene, ACS reagent, ≥99.0%