National Sun Yat-sen University / Professor Yuan-Chung Lin

 Pain Points Solved 

Biofuels can be regarded as one of the potential pathways to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and alleviate related unsustainable environmental issues. Specifically, they can address the following aspects:

1. Rice straw is abundant globally, especially in Asia, and can help reduce agricultural waste while promoting the utilization of renewable energy.
2. Rice straw is a type of lignocellulosic biomass, primarily composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.
3. Dilute acid hydrolysis can break down hemicellulose and partially remove lignin. The use of a microwave system enhances subsequent saccharification efficiency.

 Technology Introduction 

This study employed microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis to pretreat lignocellulose in agricultural waste. By controlling the reaction time, temperature, and using a highly efficient catalyst, the matrix was decomposed to release fermentable sugars. Under the optimal conditions, our team achieved a total sugar yield of 27.8 ± 0.73% within just 10 minutes of reaction time.

This study further utilized environmentally friendly catalysts to continuously biorefine biomass-derived carbohydrates into the high-value chemical 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF). The results showed that under the optimized conditions, the 5-HMF yield reached 85.6%, with an activation energy of 28.53 kJ/mol. In summary, this technology represents a cost-effective, simple, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly method that can be applied to various biomass-based conversion processes.

 Application Examples 

None

 Related Links 

None

 Patent Name and Number 

None

 Industry-Academia / Tech Transfer Partner 

None

 Honors and Awards  

None

 Technical Contact  

Industrial Liaison Office

National Sun Yat-sen University
Tel: +886 7-5250165
Email: gloria@mail.nsysu.edu.tw