AbstractRecently, conversion of lignocellulose into useful substances has attracted increasing attention. In our previous investigations, microcrystalline cellulose was successfully converted to methyl glucopyranosides (MeGlc) by the combined use of ionic liquid (IL) and microwave irradiation under moderate reaction conditions. In this study, lignocelluloses, including softwood, hardwood, and rice straw, were directly converted to methyl glycopyranosides (MG), including MeGlc, methyl mannopyranosides (MeMan), and methyl xylopyranosides (MeXyl) using acid-catalyzed methanolysis under microwave irradiation in ILs. Lignocellulose ball-milling was quite effective as a crucial process of increasing the yield of MG. Under the optimized reaction conditions, the molar yield of MeGlc reached 40% from softwood, which was a comparable yield from microcrystalline cellulose. MeXyl was also obtained in a 48% yield. These results showed that the combination of the dissolution of ball-milled lignocellulose in IL and the microwave-assisted methanolysis was an effective method of converting lignocellulose into a high-value-added substance.
Microwave-Assisted Resolution of α-Lipoic Acid Catalyzed by an Ionic Liquid Co-Lyophilized Lipase
