Nanoparticle-Assisted Bioethanol Production From Various Lignocellulosic Biomass

This study explored nanoparticle (NP)-assisted bioethanol production from seven lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) types: corn cob (Zea mays), wheat bran (Triticum aestivum), sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), London plane (Platanus acerifolia), chestnut (Castanea sativa), and wire grass (Aristida). A deashing step was employed to address the high ash content of the biomass utilizing citric acid trisodium dihydrate salt followed by autoclaving at 120°C for 4 h. The treated biomass was hydrolyzed using cerium-doped iron oxide (CeFe₃O₄) nanoparticles (NPs). Corn cob hydrolysis without pretreatment yielded the highest concentrations of glucose (33.5 ± 0.82 g/L) and xylose (26.7 ± 0.98 g/L). Subsequently, fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae produced the highest ethanol concentration of 28.8 ± 1.63 g/L and a productivity of 2.39 ± 0.13 g/L/h within 12 h. CeFe₃O₄ NPs also, facilitated xylose metabolism and were recyclable. This method enhances biomass conversion efficiency, making bioethanol production more cost-effective and environmentally friendly.