Effectiveness of various solvents in the microwave-assisted extraction of cellulose from oil palm mesocarp fiber

A New Microwave-Assisted Protocol for Cellulose Extraction from Eucalyptus and Pine Tree Wood Waste

“…Cellulose, which has a structure consisting of β-1,4-linked anhydro-D-glucose units, is a naturally occurring polymer in plants and the most abundant source of lignocellulosic biomass [ 1 , 2 ]. This biopolymer is a valuable resource for many types of applications due to its low cost, high abundance, great biocompatibility, biodegradability, and non-toxic nature [ 1 , 3 ]. Thus, many efforts have been made to develop efficient extraction methodologies in order to obtain cellulose for further transformation into high-value products such as viscose rayon, cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, and nanocrystalline cellulose (reviewed in [ 4 ]).…”

“…Several chemical and thermal methods have been reported for the removal of these components, such as organo-solvent extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis. Even though these methods may represent easy and low-cost options, they are time-consuming, have poor extraction yield, and use a great volume of solvent, most of a non-benign nature, as well as high temperature and pressure conditions, as referred to in [ 2 , 3 , 4 ].…”

“…Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) methods have been explored in the last decades to develop more sustainable, faster, and more efficient approaches to cellulose extraction [ 3 ]. The use of microwave radiation in the heating process offers many advantages in extraction processes, including lower reaction time, the use of high dielectric constant/polar solvents to improve energy absorption, and lower solvent consumption [ 9 , 10 ].…”

“…The most rudimentary studies were performed considering the extraction of cellulose using simple domestic microwave equipment, eventually in combination with conventional heating methods [ 3 , 11 ]. Other investigations employed more advanced laboratory devices in which the developed MAE methodologies for cellulose extraction considered single vessel (monomode) microwave equipment, usually using close vessels to increase the range of temperature and pressure.…”

“…In addition to several types of extraction methods, different cellulose sources can be considered, mainly comprising plants or algae feedstocks [ 1 , 2 , 13 ]. Many studies have focused on sustainable methods for the valorization of plants, particularly from fruits [ 12 ] as well as byproducts and waste generated from fruit processing [ 3 , 18 ]. Among other sources, wood waste from trees has been largely explored as a valuable source for the extraction of this biopolymer, as evidenced by many reports in the literature [ 5 , 6 , 19 , 20 , 21 ].…”