Production of reducing sugars from corn stover by electrolysis

In this study, an electrochemical system composed of a Ti/IrO2-Pt plate as the anode and a Ti plate as the cathode was employed for the treatment of corn stover to afford reducing sugars. The optimum conditions, following the experimental design methodology of Taguchi, were electrode spacing, current density, and NaCl addition of 10 mm, 30 mA cm(-2), and 2000 mg L-1, respectively. The recovery of reducing sugars under optimum conditions reached 0.610 mg mL(-1) at 180 min, demonstrating the greater efficacy of this process compared to ozone pretreatment (0.297 mg mL(-1) at 180 min). Indirect oxidation by hypochlorous acid generated in the bulk solution was a significant contributor to lignocelluloses oxidation. An increase in temperature and variation in pH during electrolysis enhanced the oxidation. After electrochemical treatment, the lignocellulosic structure was destroyed and became disordered, the crystalline index decreased from 0.4396 to 0.3493, indicating the efficacy of the described electrochemical method for converting lignocelluloses to reducing sugars. After the electrolysis, the structure of lignocelluloses became disordered, and the crystalline index decreased from 0.4396 to 0.3493, indicating that the electrolysis was an effective method for converting the lignocelluloses to the reducing sugars.