Production of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural from Chitin Biomass: a Review
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molecules Review Production of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural from Chitin Biomass: A Review Dan Zhou 1, Dongsheng Shen 1, Wenjing Lu 2, Tao Song 3, Meizhen Wang 1, Huajun Feng 1, Jiali Shentu 1 and Yuyang Long 1,* 1 Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Analysis and Testing Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, China; [email protected] (D.Z.); [email protected] (D.S.); [email protected] (M.W.); [email protected] (H.F.); [email protected] (J.S.) 2 School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; [email protected] 3 School of Energy and Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Academic Editor: Michela Signoretto Received: 31 December 2019; Accepted: 25 January 2020; Published: 27 January 2020 Abstract: Chitin biomass, a rich renewable resource, is the second most abundant natural polysaccharide after cellulose. Conversion of chitin biomass to high value-added chemicals can play a significant role in alleviating the global energy crisis and environmental pollution. In this review, the recent achievements in converting chitin biomass to high-value chemicals, such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), under different conditions using chitin, chitosan, glucosamine, and N-acetylglucosamine as raw materials are summarized. Related research on pretreatment technology of chitin biomass is also discussed. New approaches for transformation of chitin biomass to HMF are also proposed. This review promotes the development of industrial technologies for degradation of chitin biomass and preparation of HMF. It also provides insight into a sustainable future in terms of renewable resources. Keywords: 5-hydroxymethylfurfural; chitin biomass; pretreatment; chitosan; degradation; biorefinery 1. Introduction Investigation of green renewable energy has gradually become a main research direction in recent years. As a substitute for fossil fuel, biomass is a potential renewable resource for future production of fuels and high value chemical products owing to the vast number of organic chemical products that can be potentially manufactured from biomass [1,2]. Biomass includes plant fibers, such as lignocellulose, and animal fibers, such as chitin [3]. Lignocellulosic materials have been widely investigated [4,5]. Chitin is the world’s second most abundant biopolymer. However, chitin biomass transformation is still in the initial stage. Chitin biomass includes raw materials, such as crustacean shells, and purified chitin, chitosan, and its corresponding monomers (N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and glucosamine (GlcNH2)) and derivatives. Chitin widely exists in crustacean shells, insect skeletons, fungi, etc. With the rapid growth of the fishery industry, which is the main source of chitin biomass, global fishery production has become well above 100 million tons per year with a large amount of crustacean wastes. An estimated 6–8 million tons of shell waste from crustaceans is produced annually [6]. Generally, most crustacean waste is directly disposed of in landfills without utilization which not only poses environmental issues, but it is also a waste of resources [7]. Valorization of shell waste will have both ecological and economic benefits. Molecules 2020, 25, 541; doi:10.3390/molecules25030541 www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules Molecules 2020, 25, 541 2 of 15 Molecules 2019, 24, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 15 Determining the potential value of chitin biomass is in accordance with the concept of green chemistry. There There is isa agrowing growing interest interest in inchitin chitin biomass, biomass, and andconversion conversion of chitin of chitin biomass biomass to high to highvalue-added value-added compounds compounds has become has become a new a research new research hotspot. hotspot. In recent In recent years, years, the concept the concept of shell of shellbiorefinery biorefinery has been has proposed been proposed [3,8,9]. [ 3Chitin,8,9]. biomass Chitin biomass should be should fully beutilized fully utilizedlike cellulose like cellulosebiomass biomassby converting by converting it to high it value to high chemicals value chemicals (Figure 1). (Figure Among1). the Among various the high-value various high-value chemicals, chemicals,5-hydroxymethylfurfural 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is one (HMF) of the is most one ofpromising the most value-added promising value-added platform compounds platform compounds[10]. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural, [10]. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural, which is highly which chemically is highly reactive, chemically can be reactive, prepared can by be oxidation, prepared byhydrogenation, oxidation, hydrogenation, etc. It has etc.huge It hasmarket huge marketpotential potential which whichcan canbe beused used to to produce 2,5-furandialdehyde, 2,5- 2,5-furandicarboxylicfurandicarboxylic acid, acid, levulinic levulinic ac acidid (LA), and other high value-added chemicals andand liquid liquid fuels. fuels. Chitin Chitin biomass biomass is an idealis an rawideal material raw material for preparation for preparation of HMF. Tapping of HMF. the potentialTapping the of chitin potential biomass of chitin to obtain biomass the highto obtain value-added the high platformvalue-added compound platform HMF compound is an important HMF is wayan important to improve way the outputto improve of waste the resources, output of and waste it is expectedresources, to leadand toit newis expected directions to for lead high-value to new utilizationdirections for of chitinhigh-value biomass. utilization of chitin biomass. Figure 1. An overview of chitin biomass conversion into various chemicals. HAc, HAc, acetic acetic acid; acid; HMF, HMF, hydroxymethyl furfural; LA, levulinic acid; HADP,HADP, hydroxyethyl-2-amino-2-deoxyhexopyranoside;hydroxyethyl-2-amino-2-deoxyhexopyranoside; 3A5AF, 3-acetamido-5-acetylfuran;3-acetamido-5-acetylfuran; NMEA,NMEA, N-acetylmonoethanolamine;N-acetylmonoethanolamine; MEA,MEA, monoethanolamine.monoethanolamine. This paperpaper reviewsreviews the the recent recent related related research research progress progress in the in conversionthe conversion of chitin of chitin biomass biomass to HMF to andHMF summarizes and summarizes the methods the methods and pathways and pathways during the du conversionring the conversion process under process diff erentunder conditions. different Finally,conditions. the potentialFinally, the future potential research future directions research are directions also proposed. are also proposed. 2. Structure of Chitin Biomass Chitin biomass includes raw materials, such as shrimp and crab shells, and purified purified chitin, chitosan, and its corresponding monomers (GlcNAc and GlcNH ) and derivatives [11]. Chitin widely chitosan, and its corresponding monomers (GlcNAc and GlcNH2 2) and derivatives [11]. Chitin existswidely in exists nature in including nature including in the shells in the of insects shells andof insects crustaceans and crustaceans (e.g., shrimps (e.g., and shrimps crabs). Theand skeletalcrabs). shellsThe skeletal of mollusks shells andof mollusks cell walls and of certain cell walls algae of and certain fungi algae also and contain fungi chitin. also Itcontain is the mostchitin. abundant It is the naturalmost abundant nitrogen-containing natural nitrogen-containing polymer polysaccharide polymer in polysaccharide the world, and itin isthe also world, an important and it is nitrogen also an sourceimportant for typicalnitrogen earth source and for marine typical organisms. earth and marine organisms. Chitin is a linearlinear polymerpolymer polysaccharidepolysaccharide formedformed byby condensingcondensing NN-acetylglucosamine-acetylglucosamine with β β-1,4-glucoside-1,4-glucoside bonds,bonds, and and the the relative relative molecular molecular weight weight of chitin of rangeschitin fromranges hundreds from hundreds of thousands of tothousands millions DA.to millions The chemical DA. The structure chemical of chitinstructure is basically of chitin the is samebasically as lignocellulose. the same as lignocellulose. The difference between them is that the functional group at the C position of cellulose is the hydroxyl group (–OH) The difference between them is that the functional2 group at the C2 position of cellulose is the while that of chitin is the acetylamino group (CH CONH–), as is shown in Figure2. Therefore, chitin hydroxyl group (–OH) while that of chitin is the3 acetylamino group (CH3CONH–), as is shown in Figure 2. Therefore, chitin is sometimes referred to as animal cellulose. The monomer of chitin is 2 Molecules 2020, 25, 541 3 of 15 is sometimesMolecules 2019 referred, 24, x toFOR as PEER animal REVIEW cellulose. The monomer of chitin is GlcNAc which can be obtained3 of 15 from chitin by hydrolysis with concentrated hydrochloric acid (HCl) or sulfuric acid (H SO ) or the GlcNAc which can be obtained from chitin by hydrolysis with concentrated hydrochloric2 4 acid (HCl) enzymatic hydrolysis. or sulfuric acid (H2SO4) or the enzymatic hydrolysis. The product obtained after removing most of the N-acetyl groups from the sugar group in the The product obtained after removing most of the N-acetyl groups from the sugar group in the chitin structure is called chitosan which is also known as deacetylated chitin. The deacetylated products chitin structure is called chitosan which is also known as deacetylated chitin. The deacetylated that have a degree of deacetylation (DD)