Synergistic boosting furoic acid and glucose production from corn stover by tandem chemocatalysis and biocatalysis

The synthesis of bio-based compounds derived from biomass is essential for promoting sustainable development and environmental preservation. In this study, a tandem chemocatalysis and biocatalysis approach was proposed to co-produce furoic acid (FA) and glucose from corn stover. The corn stover was pretreated using 2 wt% lactic acid (LA), achieving the highest xylose and xylooligosaccharides (XOS) overall yield of 86.1 %. The hydrolysate was catalyzed in a biphasic system by 0.25 % Hβ zeolite and pre-existing LA to obtain furfural, which was further converted into FA at 70.5 % yield in the same biphasic system using biocatalyst of Pseudomonas rhodesiae . In addition, the possible mechanisms of the associated catalytic reactions were also discussed and the enzymatic saccharification efficiency of the solid remains was enhanced to 87.5 %, increased by 3.3 times than that of the original corn stover. More importantly, the glucose obtained could serve as a substrate for cell cultivation, facilitating the production of both biocatalyst ( P. rhodesiae ) and chemical catalyst (lactic acid). This facile biorefinery method of co-production of FA and glucose improves the bioavailability of corn stover in a greener and simpler manner, avoiding strong acids and complex chemical catalysts. • Furoic acid and glucose were co-produced from corn stover with high yields. • The collaboration of dilute lactic acid and Hβ zeolite advanced furfural yield. • A novel Pseudomonas rhodesiae was used as biocatalyst to produce furoic acid. • The catalysts could be easily recycled or prepared from corn stover derived glucose. • A closed-loop and cost-effective biorefinery strategy of corn stover was proposed.