Role of ionic liquids in the processing of lignocellulosic biomass

This chapter discusses the treatment of palm oil empty fruit bunch using ionic liquids (ILs) pretreatment. By mixing IL and cellulase enzyme (IL-E) in a single pot, the empty fruit bunch (EFB) was pretreated with simultaneous fermentation. Choline acetate [Ch][Ac], which has excellent biological compatibility and renewability, has been used for pretreatment. Chemical analysis, electron scanning microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the EFB and its hydrolysate. After 24 and 48 h of enzymatic hydrolysis, sugar yield improved from 0.058 g/g EFB in the crude (untreated) sample to 0.283 and 0.62 06 g/g in the IL-E phase. EFB hydrolysate demonstrates suitability for the production of ethanol (EtOH) with a yield of 0.275 g EtOH/g EFB in the presence of [Ch][Ac] without additional nutrients, compared to the low yield without IL pretreatment