I-Corps: Bionic Liquids - Sustainable Solvents for Renewable Energy Applications

Cuny Bronx Community College, Bronx NY

Investigators

Abstract

Conventional biomass pretreatment uses high temperatures, high pressures, and toxic chemical processing of lignocellulosic feedstocks (i.e., hardwoods, softwoods, and grasses) to separate monomeric sugars for fermentation into biofuels and other renewable chemicals. Among the conventional methods used for lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment are dilute acid, steam explosion, ammonium fiber expansion and organic solvent extraction. Unfortunately, these methods are limited in terms of feedstock tolerance, energy costs and formation of by-products that inhibit downstream fermentation. This team is pursuing the commercialization potential of a class of ionic liquids (termed Bionic Liquids) derived from renewable materials. Ionic liquids are liquid salts with low vapor pressures, high conductivities and thermal stabilities with remarkable solvating abilities for a wide range of substrates. As such, ionic liquids are ideal solvents for biomass pretreatment because they can completely dissolve biomass by simple heating and stirring, stripping the cellulose away from the by-product stream. Biomass pretreatment for the production of fuels and renewable chemicals from cellulose is the largest customer need that will be met by Bionic Liquids. Using the "closed-loop" biorefinery method whereby lignin and hemicellulose by-products are converted to Bionic Liquids, an unlimited supply of these remarkable renewable solvents can be produced. A biorefinery can then choose to use the Bionic Liquids in-house, or tailor their chemistries by manipulating the cation and anion combinations to meet demand across a variety of renewable energy (i.e. battery, solar) and synthetic chemistry markets (i.e. pharmaceuticals).