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Laccase-mediated synthesis of lignin-core hyperbranched copolymers

  • Biotechnological products and process engineering
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Abstract

Lignin, one of the major chemical constituents of woody biomass, is the second most abundant biopolymer found in nature. The pulp and paper industry has long produced lignin on the scale of millions of tons annually as a by-product of the pulping process, and the dawn of cellulosic ethanol production has further contributed to this amount. Historically, lignin has been perceived as a waste material and burned as a fuel for the pulping process. However, recent research has been geared toward developing cost-effective technologies to convert lignin into valuable commodities. Attributing to the polyphenolic structure of lignin, enzymatic modification of its surface using laccases (benzenediol:oxygen oxidoreductases, EC 1.10.3.2) has demonstrated to be highly successful. The current study aims at developing lignin-core hyperbranched copolymers via the laccase-assisted copolymerization of kraft lignin with methylhydroquinone and a trithiol. Based on the physical properties of the resulting material, it is likely that crosslinking reactions have taken place during the drying process to produce a copolymeric network rather than discrete hyperbranched copolymers, with NMR data providing evidence of covalent bonding between monomers. Preliminary thermal analysis data reveals that the copolymeric material possesses a moderate glass transition temperature and exhibits good thermostability, thus may have potential application as a lignin-based thermoplastic. Scanning electron microscopy images confirm the smooth, glossy surface of the material and that it is densely packed. The presented results are a sustainable, ecofriendly, economic method to create an exciting novel biomaterial from a renewable feedstock while further enhancing lignin valorization.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful for a student fellowship supported by the Renewable Bioproducts Institute at Georgia Institute of Technology. The authors would also like to thank Dr. Y. Berta for her assistance in gathering SEM images and Brett Hester for his help with TGA experiments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Renewable Bioproducts Institute, School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA

    Mark D. Cannatelli

  2. Joint Institute for Biological Sciences, Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA

    Mark D. Cannatelli & Arthur J. Ragauskas

  3. Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA

    Arthur J. Ragauskas

  4. Center for Renewable Carbon, Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA

    Arthur J. Ragauskas

  5. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, 323-B Dougherty Engineering Bldg. (Lab 324), 1512 Middle Drive, Knoxville, TN, 37996-2200, USA

    Arthur J. Ragauskas

Authors
  1. Mark D. Cannatelli
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  2. Arthur J. Ragauskas
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Correspondence to Arthur J. Ragauskas.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Funding

This study was funded by a student fellowship supported by the Renewable Bioproducts Institute at Georgia Institute of Technology.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Cannatelli, M.D., Ragauskas, A.J. Laccase-mediated synthesis of lignin-core hyperbranched copolymers. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 101, 6343–6353 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-017-8325-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-017-8325-2

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