National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC

Tanmoy Dutta

Blake A Simmons

Seema Singh

Jian Sun

Parthasarathi Ramakrishnan

John Michael Gladden

The present invention provides for novel protic ionic liquids (PIL) or phosphate-based ionic liquid (PBIL) useful for lignocellulosic processing described herein. The novel protic ionic liquids are capable of pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass over a wide range of pH.

Protic or phosphate-based ionic liquids useful for lignocellulosic processing

Methods and compositions are provided for ionic liquid processing of biomass.

Ammonium based ionic liquids useful for lignocellulosic processing

Disclosed herein are lignin-derived ionic liquids and methods for preparing them. The methods include forming a reaction mixture comprising a lignin-derived starting material, a carbonyl compound, and an amine; maintaining the reaction mixture under conditions sufficient to form a lignin-derived aminophenol; and converting the lignin derived aminophenol to the lignin-derived ionic liquid. Monomeric phenols, oligomeric phenols, and polymeric phenols can be used as lignin-derived starting materials.

Conversion of lignin to ionic liquids

Methods and compositions are provided for synthesizing ionic liquids from lignin. Methods and compositions are also provided for treating lignin with ionic liquids.

Methods of synthesizing ionic liquids from primary alcohol-containing lignin compounds

Disclosed herein are methods for preparing sugar compositions. The methods include: i) forming a mixture including polysaccharide biomass and an ionic liquid solution, wherein the ionic liquid solution contains water and an ionic liquid, and the ionic liquid contains a) a cation and b) a sugar acid anion or a ketoacid anion; ii) maintaining the mixture under conditions sufficient to dissolve at least a portion of the polysaccharide present in the polysaccharide biomass; iii) adding at least one glycoside hydrolase to the mixture; and iv) maintaining the mixture containing the glycoside hydrolase under conditions sufficient to hydrolyze at least a portion of the dissolved polysaccharide, thereby forming the sugar compositions. The sugar compositions contain at least one monosaccharide or oligosaccharide. New sugar-based ionic liquids are also described.

Conversion of sugars to ionic liquids

The present invention provides for a method for dissolving and/or depolymerizing lignin comprising: (a) providing a composition comprising lignin, (b) contacting the composition with a strong hydrogen donor, such as a polyol, to form a first solution, (c) incubating the first solution at a temperature equal to or less than 100&#xb0; C., whereby at least 20% by weight of the lignin is dissolved, (d) optionally introducing an oxidation agent to the first solution to form a second solution, wherein the temperature of the second solution is equal to or less than 100&#xb0; C., whereby lignin is depolymerized, and (e) optionally introducing an anti-solvent to the second solution to precipitate the depolymerized lignin.

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Berkeley, CA, United States of America

Tanmoy Dutta