Biomass Group, Nanjing Agricultural University, PO Box 68, 40 Dianjiangtai Road, Nanjing 210031

Biodiesel production from high acid value oils with a highly active and stable bifunctional magnetic acid

Carbonaceous bifunctional magnetic solid acid catalyst with high acid content was synthesized by four-step method. It efficiently catalyzed the esterification of oleic acid, transesterification of soybean oil and pretreatment of Jatropha oil with easy separation for 10 cycles. （双功能磁性固体酸催化剂通过四步法合成和活化，用于酯化油酸，转酯化豆油和预处理小桐子油制备生物柴油，只需简单的磁性分离步骤可循环使用10次）。

Recently, Miss Yi-Tong Wang (PhD student from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences) supervised by Prof. Zhen FANG has synthesized carbonaceous bifunctional magnetic solid acid catalyst with both Brønsted and Lewis sites to efficiently catalyze the esterification of oleic acid with 97% biodiesel yield, transesterification of mixed soybean oil with high acid value (AV) with 95% biodiesel yield and pretreat Jatropha oil with AV reduced from 17.2 to 0.7 mg KOH/g. Biodiesel yield > 90% at 90 oC for 4 h reaction time was obtained for ten cycles by easy magnetic separation which showed potential practical applications in the field of green production of biodiesel.
The results were published:
YT Wang, Zhen Fang*, XX Yang, Biodiesel Production from High Acid Value Oils with a Highly Active and Stable Bifunctional Magnetic Acid, Applied Energy, 204, 702–714(2017).

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高活性和稳定性的磁性固体酸催化剂催化高酸值的油脂制备生物柴油

最近，王一同同学（中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园博士研究生）在方老师的指导下，通过四步法合成了双功能磁性固体酸催化剂，并应用于生物柴油制备。

为了降低生物柴油制备工艺的能耗，通过四步法合成一种同时具有路易斯酸位点和布朗斯特酸位点的磁性固体酸。合成的磁性固体酸具有优秀的催化能力，可以酯化油酸获得97%生物柴油产率，转酯化高酸值的豆油获得95%生物柴油产率，预处理酸值为17.2 mg KOH/g的小桐子原油使其酸值降为0.7 mg KOH/g。合成的双功能磁性固体酸拥有较好的稳定性，通过简单的磁性分离可以循环使用10次，展示了出色的商业化应用前景。

结果发表在Applied energy: Yi-Tong Wang, Zhen Fang*, Xing-Xia Yang, Biodiesel Production from High Acid Value Oils with a Highly Active and Stable Bifunctional Magnetic Acid, Applied Energy, 204, 702–714(2017).

One-Pot Hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose in Lignocellulosic Biomass Pretreated by NaOH-Freeze

Biomass wastes were NaOH-freeze pretreated for one-pot hydrolysis with yields increased by >214% for cellulose, >59% for hemicellulose, respectively. （对生物质废弃物进行一锅法水解，NaOH 冷冻预处理后，纤维素水解率增加>214%，半纤维素水解率增加>59%。）

  Recently, Miss Tongchao Su (PhD student from China University of Science and Technology) supervised by Prof. Zhen FANG hydrolyzed cellulose and hemicellulose in lignocelluloses in one-pot. In their work, in order to achieve one-pot hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose in lignocellulosic biomass, freeze pretreatment with 0−5 wt % NaOH (3 wt% was chosen as the best concentration) and subsequent microwave-assisted dilute sulfuric acid hydrolysis were applied to tropical plant wastes. Single factor optimization of hydrolysis of the pretreated bagasse was studied, and the best conditions (140 °C, 30 s, substrate/solvent ratio of 1/60 and 0.4 M H2SO4) were further applied to Jatropha and Plukenetia hulls. Under the best conditions, yields of sugars from cellulose (glucose) and hemicellulose (xylose, mannose, and arabinose) in the pretreated bagasse were 84.0% and 92.7%, enhanced by 273.4% and 59.3% as compared with untreated sample, respectively. For the pretreated Jatropha and Plukenetia hulls, yields of glucose and hemicellulose sugars were 85.7% and 93.3% (increased by 225.9% and 75.4%),  and 85.0% and 92.9% (increased by 214.8% and 81.4%), respectively.
The results were published:
TC Su, Zhen Fang*, One-pot microwave-assisted hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose in selected tropical plant wastes by NaOH-freeze pretreatment, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 5(6), 5166–5174 (2017).

一锅法水解 经NaOH 冷冻预处理后的生物质中纤维素和半纤维素

  最近，苏同超同学（中国科学技术大学生命学院博士研究生）在方老师的指导下，对木质纤维素中的纤维素和半纤维素进行了一锅水解的研究。
为了实现木质纤维素生物质中的纤维素和半纤维素的同时水解，首先对生物质用0−5 wt% NaOH（3wt%被选为最佳浓度）冷冻预处理，随后进行微波稀酸水解。
对预处理后的甘蔗渣水解条件的优化进行了单因素实验研究，并利用所得的最佳条件（140 °C，30秒，生物质/溶剂比为1／60和0.4 M H2SO4）进一步用于小桐子和星油藤壳的水解。在最佳条件下，和未经处理的样品相比，预处理后的甘蔗渣纤维素糖产量（葡萄糖）和半纤维素（木糖、甘露糖、阿拉伯糖）糖产量，分别为84%和92.7%，提高了273.4%和59.3%。对预处理后的小桐子和星油藤壳，产生葡萄糖和半纤维素糖分别为85.7%和93.3%（分别增加225.9%、75.4%），85%和92.9%（分别增加了214.8%和81.4%）。
结果发表在ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering: TC Su, Zhen Fang*, One-pot microwave-assisted hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose in selected tropical plant wastes by NaOH-freeze pretreatment, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 5(6), 5166–5174 (2017).

方真教授会见加拿大约克大学JA Kozinski院士

方真教授访问加拿大约克大学和麦基尔大学

应加拿大约克大学JA Kozinski教授（加拿大工程院院士）邀请，方真教授2017年6月14-21日对加拿大进行了访问。他参观了约克大学工学院机械系和土木工程系，访问了约克大学能源实验室（多伦多）并讨论双方合作研究和共同申请项目等问题。

同时，方真教授还顺访了位于蒙特利尔市的麦基尔大学，会见了化学系Ian Butler教授，材料工程系Roderick I. L. GUTHRIE教授（加拿大皇家科学院院士）和土木工程系的Yixin Shao教授, 探讨进一步合作问题。另外，方真教授参观了化学系CJ Li教授（加拿大皇家科学院院士，Green Chem副主编）实验室，对他们在绿色化学方面的成果和研究产生了浓厚的兴趣。

Prof. Zhen Fang visited York and McGill in Canada

From June 14 to 21, 2017, Prof. Zhen Fang visited York and McGill in Canada. At York, he met Prof. Kozinski (The Founding Engineering Dean) and toured the Departments of Mechanical and Civil engineering, visited the York University Energy Laboratory and discussed issues such as collaborative research and joint application for projects.

Later, Prof. Fang visited McGill University in Montreal, where he met Profs. Ian Butler (Chemistry Department), Roderick I. L. Guthrie (Materials Engineering Department) and Yixin Shao (Civil Engineering Department) to explore further cooperation. In addition, Prof. Fang visited Prof CJ Li’s Lab (Prof. Li is associate editor of Green Chem) in Chemistry Department, and found a strong interest in the achievements and research in the field of green and sustainable chemistry made at McGill.

李兴康顺利通过2017年博士学位论文答辩

2017年5月22日，由昆明理工大学、云南师范大学等5位专家组成的答辩委员会听取了博士毕业生李兴康的论文<<有机溶剂预处理甘蔗渣及酶水解的研究>>报告和答辩。经答辩委员会讨论和无记名投票表决，一致同意李兴康同学通过学位论文答辩，建议按有关规定授予理学博士学位。在此毕业之际，向李兴康同学表示祝贺。