Sonocatalysis: A Potential Sustainable Pathway for the Valorization of Lignocellulosic Biomass and Derivatives

Abstract

Lignocellulosic biomass represents a natural renewable chemical feedstock that can be used to produce high value-added chemicals and platform molecules. Nowadays, there are extensive studies on a variety of aspects concerning the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass into desirable products. Among the current technologies for biomass conversion some require extreme conditions along with high temperatures and pressures. Therefore, major technological innovations based on more economical and environmental methodologies are currently developed both in academic laboratories and in industry. In this context, ultrasound-assisted catalysis constitutes an alternative method offering new strategies to upgrade biomass. The possibility of combining catalysis with sonication indeed provides avenues that are worth exploring for the valorization of lignocellulosic compounds into value-added chemical feedstocks. In this mini-review, the available sonochemical systems are first presented, with a focus on the most important ultrasonic parameters, which is intended to provide a mechanistic background. Next, this contribution aims to provide insight into the most recent developments along with prominent examples in the field of sonocatalysis applied to the chemical transformation of lignocellulosic biomass and its derivatives.Abstract Lignocellulosic biomass represents a natural renewable chemical feedstock that can be used to produce high value-added chemicals and platform molecules. Nowadays, there are extensive studies on a variety of aspects concerning the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass into desirable products. Among the current technologies for biomass conversion some require extreme conditions along with high temperatures and pressures. Therefore, major technological innovations based on more economical and environmental methodologies are currently developed both in academic laboratories and in industry. In this context, ultrasound-assisted catalysis constitutes an alternative method offering new strategies to upgrade biomass. The possibility of combining catalysis with sonication indeed provides avenues that are worth exploring for the valorization of lignocellulosic compounds into value-added chemical feedstocks. In this mini-review, the available sonochemical systems are first presented, with a focus on the most important ultrasonic parameters, which is intended to provide a mechanistic background. Next, this contribution aims to provide insight into the most recent developments along with prominent examples in the field of sonocatalysis applied to the chemical transformation of lignocellulosic biomass and its derivatives.

Sonochemical fabrication of inorganic nanoparticles for applications in catalysis

“… [137] Colmenares et al once deposition of TiO 2 nanoparticles on the inner wall of fluoropolymer microtubes by the ultrasound-based deposition method, where the ultrasound caused the physical changes of polymer surface to create some rough spots and etched surface for the stable immobilization of TiO 2 nanoparticles. [138] , [139] The TiO 2 -coated microtube showed a good photocatalytic activity under the UV light, since the degradation of phenol in the evaluation had a higher grade than the reported in the conventional batch photoreactor. Towards the removal of environmental pollutant by the photocatalytic approach, Anandan and coworkers used an ultrasonic method to prepare Cu 2 O@TiO 2 heterojunction nanocomposites.…”

Sonochemistry in nanocatalysis: The use of ultrasound from the catalyst synthesis to the catalytic reaction

“…Sonophotodeposition (ultrasound and light radiations) and sonoelectrodeposition (ultrasound and electrical fields) processes have been also recently shown synergetic actions in the syntheses of different nanomaterials for photodegradation steps [25]. Sonochemistry in the presence of nanocatalysts Several reviews have covered the large scale of applications of ultrasound in sonocatalysis [5,26,27,28]. Generally, it is difficult to clearly identify the real effects brought by ultrasound irradiation and to exactly understand and prove how it can affect the reactivity.…”

Greener organic synthetic methods: Sonochemistry and heterogeneous catalysis promoted multicomponent reactions

“…The cavitation process can be of several types (some examples are acoustic, hydrodynamic, optical and particle cavitation), depending on the generation method and the associated ultrasonic/experimental parameters (frequency, acoustic power, reactor shape, solvents, temperature, vapor pressure, surface tension and viscosity, etc.) [11] , [63] , [64] .…”