Microwave-assisted hydrothermal selective dissolution and utilisation of hemicellulose in Phyllostachys heterocycla cv. pubescens

Abstract

A green process for the microwave-assisted hydrothermal selective dissolution and utilisation of hemicellulose in Phyllostachys heterocycla cv. Pubescens (shortened to pubescens) was developed. The process facilitated the efficient dissolution of hemicellulose at 200 °C, while obtaining hemicellulose-free residue that could be further used as starting materials within many industrial processes. A variety of analytical techniques (e.g., HPLC, FT-IR, SEM, TG/TGA, Py-GC/MS, TG-IR, ¹³C liquid NMR, 2D HSQC NMR, and ¹³C CPMAS NMR analysis) were used for the analysis of the obtained liquid and solid products, which revealed that hemicellulose was completely extracted from pubescens. A solid residue left after this process consists of cellulose and lignin in a pure form and can be used for production of glucose and aromatic compounds. Interestingly, a new route to produce hemicellulose-based films that could potentially be used for food packaging was achieved. The developed approach opens avenue for a low-cost and sustainable bamboo-based biorefinery.