Fractionation of sugarcane bagasse with a p-toluene sulfonic acid pretreatment to co-produce glucose, furfural, and lignin-based cream

Developing an efficient and feasible pretreatment is vital for biomass refining. Herein, a kind of p-toluene sulfonic acid (p-TsOH) pretreatment under mild conditions was proposed to convert the sugarcane bagasse (SCB) into glucose, furfural, and activated lignin. After the pretreatment, the cellulose-rich solid was digested by cellulase, and the glucose yield was up to 94.8%. The pretreated liquid was diluted with deionized water to precipitate the lignin. Notably, the hemicelluloses degradation products in the supernatant, primarily xylose, can be directly converted into furfural without needing a catalyst, achieving a yield of 73.1%. The recovered lignin exhibits excellent antioxidant properties, with a radical scavenging index (RSI) of 40.0 and significant UV absorbance, which displayed great potential in lignin-based sunscreen preparation. This study, therefore, presents a comprehensive strategy for the valorization of SCB, enhancing its potential for sustainable applications.