Optimizing combinatorial pretreatment for efficient separation and utilization of reed components

In this study, we introduce a novel two-step method for efficiently separating and utilizing reed biomass. The process involves seawater and ammonium chloride (SW/AC) pretreatment followed by high solid-phase ethanolamine (ETA) pretreatment. During the SW/AC pre-processing stage, metal ions and chloride ions in seawater facilitated the depolymerization of hemicellulose into xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS), yielding 44.71 %. Subsequently, the two-step SW/AC-ETA pretreatment achieved a lignin removal rate of 80.34 % and rose to yields of glucose (99.10 %) and xylose (84.95 %). Characterization via FTIR, XRD, and SEM analyses revealed significant disruption of the lignin-carbohydrate complex structure in the reed, thereby increasing cellulose accessibility from 136.99 mg/g in raw material to 526.32 mg/g. This study offers a novel, environmentally friendly, and efficient strategy for separating reed components.