MICROBIAL METHANE PRODUCTION USING INTERMEDEIATES PRODUCED FROM THE PHOTOCATALYTIC REFORMING OF LIGNINCELLULOSICS

低价值生物质，如玉米秸秆和木屑，是生产氢、甲烷和乙醇的有用原料；然而，需要预处理以释放纤维素和半纤维素组分。剩余的木质素是一个低价值的部分，是不可生物降解的。提出的工作目标是开发一条将木质素转化为甲烷的途径，这是一种增值产品。将木质素转化为可生物降解的化学物质可以使用光催化剂，如二氧化钛（TiO2）、二氧化铈（CeO2）修饰的TiO2或CeO2加石墨烯（碳的结晶形式）修饰的TiO2。光催化后，含有短链碳化合物（可生物降解的化学物质）的原料将通过混合厌氧微生物的暗发酵转化为甲烷。

Low value biomass such as corn stover and wood chips, are useful feedstocks for producing hydrogen, methane and ethanol; however, pretreatment is required to liberate the celluloses and hemi-celluloses fractions. The remaining lignin, a low value fraction, is not biodegradable. The objective of the proposed work is to develop a route for converting lignin into methane, a value-added product. Converting lignin into biodegradable chemicals can be accomplished using photocatalysts such as titanium dioxide (TiO2) as well as TiO2 modified with cerium dioxide (CeO2) or TiO2 modified with CeO2 plus graphene, a crystalline form of carbon. After photocatalysis, a feedstock containing short chain carbon compounds (biodegradable chemicals) will be converted into methane by dark fermentation using mixed anaerobic microorganisms.