Solvent-free mechanochemical and enzymatic breakdown of cellulose

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The proposed research is developing a novel, patent-pending process for the direct transformation of cellulose and lignocellulosic materials directly into glucose or simple oligosaccharides without using any solvents, additives, acids or bases. This process is based on unprecedented discovery that cellulose enzymes can achieve hydrolytic cleavage of cellulose in the solid state, without any solvent or reagents added, through brief mechanical activation. This process, delineated in the recently filed provisional patent application "Enzymatic Saccharification of a Polysaccharide" (US 62/465,443) opens not only a completely new area in context of enzymatic catalysis, but also an unexpected, clean route for breakdown of highly recalcitrant biopolymers. By unprecedented use of enzyme catalysis in the solid state, this process avoids the limitations of poor solubility of cellulose, a stumbling block in conventional solvent-based technologies for converting cellulose into smaller molecules useful as biofuels or replacements of petrochemicals. The herein developed technology can lead to major advances in generating biofuels and commodity chemicals from biomass, thus accelerating the phasing out of environmentally-challenging fossil fuels and petrochemicals. In order to augment the commercial and industrial potential of this patent-pending process, the proposed research is aimed towards optimizing cellulose conversion to quantitative level, followed by expansion to real biomass samples and scaling to kilogram scale. These developments should make this novel and exciting process highly attractive for establishing industrial partners and subsequent commercialization.