Processing a lignin stream from waste biomass pyrolysis for its bioconversion into high-value products

PALAZZOLO, M. A.; EUVERINK, G. J. W.; HEERES, H. J.; DEUSS, P. J.

Conferencia; The Netherlands' XXIV Catalysis and Chemistry Conference (NCCC 2023); 2023

NCCC 2023, XXIVth The Netherlands' Catalysis and Chemistry Conference. NH Conference Centre Leeuwenhorst,Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands. March 6 to 8, 2023. https://n3c.nl/2023 NCCC ConferenceProcessing a lignin stream from waste biomass pyrolysis for its bioconversion into high-value productsDr. Martin A. Palazzolo1,2, Prof. Dr. Gert-Jan Euverink3, Prof. Dr. Hero J. Heeres1, and Prof. Dr. Peter J. Deuss11 Green chemical reaction engineering, Engineering and Technology institute Groningen,University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands. E-mail: m.a.palazzolo@rug.nl2 Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química (INTEQUI), FQByF, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, CONICET, Almirante Brown 1455, 5700, San Luis, Argentina3 Products and Processes for Biotechnology, ENTEG, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, The NetherlandsBiorefineries hold one of the keys to develop the future circular society. Pyrolysis is a cheap, flexible technology to convert renewable but complex carbon feedstock like biomass into liquid, gaseous and solid fractions. Profitability yet represents a major issue. To tackle this, the product portfolio should include chemicals of greater market price. Regardless, the conversion of the lignin-derived components in the oil remains a bottleneck for the full utilization of the pyrolysis oil. We aim to design a strategy that allows accessing high-value products from this pyrolytic lignin. Microbial cells offer a dynamic scaffold for biocatalysts to transform complex carbon sources like lignin into simpler organic molecules with higher value. A particular type of lipids, the polyunsaturated fatty acids, is a very interesting target. These are important dietary components included in delicate products like baby formulae.More efficient ex situ technology is needed to make the microbial uptake of lignin straightforward. The use of an oxidative agent like ozone offers an interesting alternative to lignin-degrading enzymes and bio-mimetic heterogeneous catalysts. Our group described successful ozonolysis reactions of different lignin streams in methanol and ethanol as a tool for processing1. Other authors reported the use of acetic acid as a solvent for the ozonolysis of alcell lignin yielding vanillin2. In this work, we present a two-step, proof-of-concept strategy towards the microbial lipid production from pyrolytic lignin: (1) The ozonolysis of pyrolytic lignin in acetic acid to get simplified fragments from its depolymerization. Mixtures of lower oligomer content and a series of phenolic monomers are obtained and can be tuned. Solvent recovery was also demonstrated. (2) The pyrolytic lignin stream and the products of its extensive ozonolysis were tested for fermentation with the lipid-producing yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. Preliminary experiments at analytical scale showed that it is capable of metabolizing both carbon sources and confirmed that ozonolysis facilitates their uptake. These results allow verifying the early stage of the strategy and encourage us to address lipid production next.Acknowledgements: This work was supported by CONICET and the OPCW Fellowship Programme. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and not those of either the OPCW or the authorities of the country or countries whose facilities were made available for the fellowship.1 a) Figueirêdo, M. B., Deuss, P. J., Venderbosch, R. H., & Heeres, H. J. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 2019, 7(5), 4755-4765. b) Figueirêdo, M. B., Heeres, H. J., & Deuss, P. J. Sustainable Energy & Fuels 2020, 4(1), 265-276.2 a) Danby AM, Lundin MD, Subramaniam B. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 2018 Jan 2, 6(1), 71-6. b) Silverman JR, Danby AM, Subramaniam B. Reaction Chemistry & Engineering 2019, 4(8), 1421-30.