Method to solubilize biomass under mild conditions
AssigneeWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
InventorsFachuang Lu, John Ralph
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Abstract
A method of completely dissolving lignocellulosic biomass. The method includes the steps of dissolving a sample of biomass in an aqueous solution of strong acid and an amine-thiol to yield a first solution. A method for measuring lignin concentration in biomass via absorbance of the first solution at a wavelength of about 283 nm by comparing the measured absorbance to a standard curve of absorbance values made from solutions of known lignin concentration.
Claims16
A method of dissolving biomass, including lignocellulosic biomass, the method comprising contacting an amount of biomass with an amount of an aqueous solution comprising a strong acid and an amine-thiol, wherein the amount of the aqueous solution is sufficient to completely dissolve the biomass.
A method of measuring lignin concentration in biomass, the method comprising:
- (a) dissolving a sample of biomass suspected of containing lignocellulose in an aqueous solution comprising a strong acid and an amine-thiol to yield a first solution;
- and
- (b) measuring absorbance of the first solution at a wavelength of about 283 nm;
- and
- (c) determining lignin concentration in the first solution by comparing the measured absorbance in step (b) to a standard curve of absorbance values made from solutions of known lignin concentration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.