The efficient and structure-protective isolation of the main components of lignocellulosic biomass remains challenging for value-added utilization. In this study, we used corn straw waste, a vast yet underexplored biomass from agricultural residues, as the raw material to extract high-purity cellulose nanosheets and recycle the lignin components as well-defined lignin nanotubes (LNTs) in a tandem process. The process consisted of a feasible dilute alkali-assisted wet ball milling treatment of steam-exploded corn straw into high-purity cellulose nanosheets and a lignin solution, which was further transferred into LNTs by a molecular assembly method. Purity, morphology, chemical structure, and thermal behavior of high-purity cellulose nanosheets and LNTs were examined. The 98.9 wt% purity of the high-purity cellulose nanosheets was achieved with a crystallinity of 36.9 %, providing a solid foundation for further chemical modification. The LNTs exhibited remarkable antioxidant activity, opening new avenues for the development of lignin-based functional materials and fundamental research.

中文翻译：

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将蒸汽爆炸的玉米秸秆干净解构为高纯度纤维素纳米片和定义明确的木质素纳米管


木质纤维素生物质主要成分的高效和结构保护性隔离对于增值利用仍然具有挑战性。在这项研究中，我们使用玉米秸秆废料（一种来自农业废弃物的大量但未被充分开发的生物质）作为原料，提取高纯度纤维素纳米片，并在串联过程中将木质素成分回收为定义的木质素纳米管 （LNT）。该工艺包括将蒸汽爆炸的玉米秸秆转化为高纯度纤维素纳米片和木质素溶液的可行稀碱辅助湿球研磨处理，然后通过分子组装方法进一步转移到 LNT 中。检查了高纯度纤维素纳米片和 LNT 的纯度、形态、化学结构和热行为。高纯度纤维素纳米片的纯度为 98.9 wt%，结晶度为 36.9%，为进一步的化学改性奠定了坚实的基础。LNTs 表现出显著的抗氧化活性，为木质素基功能材料的开发和基础研究开辟了新的途径。