Transformative biorefinery model for biomass valorization into biofuel and renewable platform chemicals

Abstract

The increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions necessitates innovative approaches to biomass utilization. This study introduces a comprehensive biorefinery model that valorizes poplar biomass into high-value products, including ethanol, furfural, phenol, and biochar. These products not only serve as promising sources for biofuel and renewable chemicals but also contribute to pollution mitigation. The approach employs a biphasic pretreatment system utilizing p-toluenesulfonic acid, pentanol, and AlCl₃ under optimized conditions (120 °C for 45 min), achieving remarkable efficiencies of 95.8% xylan removal, 90.2% delignification, and 90.7% glucan recovery. The underlying mechanism, elucidated through density functional theory, demonstrates how the disruption of lignin-carbohydrate complexes via electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding interactions enhances product yields. The cellulose-rich substrate yielded 71.3 g/L ethanol, while solubilized xylan converted to 86.7% furfural without additional acid. Furthermore, lignin pyrolysis produced bio-oil containing over 45.2% phenolic compounds, while biochar demonstrated significant adsorptive capacity for perfluorooctanoic acid. Scaling this biorefinery model to process 140 million tons of poplar biomass annually reduces CO₂ emissions by 75.3 million tons and provides socioeconomic savings of $17.3 billion, supporting sustainable industrial transformation.