| With increased concerns of our Nations' dependence on fossil fuels and their harmful effects on the environment, researchers are focusing on developing a sustainable, alternative transportation fuel source. One potential starting material for this new fuel source is biomass, or plant based material. Cellulose, the most abundant, non-food source of biomass on earth, has the ability to be hydrolyzed into biofuel precursors, such as glucose and levulinic acid. However, due to the poor solubility of cellulose, current methods used to degrade cellulose into these biofuel precursors are expensive, produce large amounts of waste and result in low yields. The main focus of this thesis is to discuss the evolving methods used to develop a process that successfully converts untreated cellulose into high yields of glucose and levulinic acid under relatively mild conditions.;The first manuscript entitled "Conversion of Cellulose to Glucose and Levulinic Acid via Solid Supported Acid Catalysis" is focused on the controlled degradation of cellulose into the biofuel precursors glucose and levulinic acid. For the hydrolysis of cellulose to occur, the beta(1→4) linkages of the cellulose molecule must be broken. Due to the strong hydrogen bonding that surround these linkages in the crystalline structure of the cellulose polymer, the solubility of cellulose in water is poor, making the hydrolysis of cellulose very difficult. Despite this issue, recyclable conditions for the decomposition of cellulose into glucose and levulinic acid under relatively mild conditions was discovered. Though these initial yields are low, they are comparable to currently available technology.;The second manuscript entitled "Effect of NaCl on the Conversion of Cellulose to Glucose and Levulinic Acid via Solid Supported Acid Catalysis" is focused on optimizing the previously reported cellulose decomposition method to obtain higher yields of both glucose and levulinic acid. By incorporating alkali metal salts into the reaction mixture, a drastic increase in yield was observed. The solubility of cellulose may increase under these conditions due to the presence of ions in solution. These charged particles have the ability to interrupt the hydrogen bonding network of the cellulose polymer, allowing more cellulose to dissolve into solution. By incorporating this simple brine solution into the experiment, a high yielding, recyclable process for the production of glucose and levulinic acid was discovered. |
