Organo-catalytic biomass deconstruction

1. A method of making a biomass hydrolysate, the method comprising:

A. catalytically reacting water and a water-soluble C 2+ O 1+ oxygenated hydrocarbon in a liquid or vapor phase with H2 in the presence of a deoxygenation catalyst at a deoxygenation temperature and deoxygenation pressure to produce a biomass processing solvent comprising a C 2+ O 1-3 hydrocarbon in a reaction stream;

B. reacting the biomass processing solvent with a solid biomass component, hydrogen and a deconstruction catalyst at a deconstruction temperature and a deconstruction pressure to produce a biomass hydrolysate comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of a water-soluble lignocellulose derivative, a water-soluble cellulose derivative, a water-soluble hemicellulose derivative, a carbohydrate, a starch, a monosaccharide, a disaccharide, a polysaccharide, a sugar, a sugar alcohol, an alditol and a polyol, wherein the solid biomass component is selected from the group consisting of agricultural residues, wood materials, municipal solid waste and energy crops; and

C. recycling the biomass hydrolysate into the reactants of step B.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biomass processing solvent comprises a member selected from the group consisting of an alcohol, ketone, aldehyde, cyclic ether, ester, diol, triol, hydroxy carboxylic acid, carboxylic acid, and a mixture thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deconstruction catalyst comprises an acidic resin or a basic resin.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the deconstruction catalyst further comprises a member selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Ru, Rh, Pd, Pt, Re, Mo, W, an alloy thereof, and a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deconstruction catalyst comprises a support and a member adhered to the support, wherein the member is selected from the group consisting of Cu, Fe, Ru, Ir, Co, Rh, Pt, Pd, Ni, W, Mo, an alloy thereof, and a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the deconstruction catalyst further comprises a member selected from the group consisting of Cu, Mn, Cr, Mo, B, W, V, Nb, Ta, Ti, Zr, Y, La, Sc, Zn, Cd, Ag, Au, Sn, Ge, P, Al, Ga, In, Tl, an alloy thereof, and a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxygenated hydrocarbon is selected from the group consisting of a starch, a carbohydrate, a polysaccharide, a disaccharide, a monosaccharide, a sugar, a sugar alcohol, a alditol, an organic acid, a phenol, a cresol, ethanediol, ethanedione, acetic acid, propanol, propanediol, propionic acid, glycerol, glyceraldehyde, dihydroxyacetone, lactic acid, pyruvic acid, malonic acid, a butanediol, butanoic acid, an aldotetrose, tartaric acid, an aldopentose, an aldohexose, a ketotetrose, a ketopentose, a ketohexose, a hemicellulose, a cellulosic derivative, a lignocellulosic derivative, and a polyol.

8. A method of making a biomass hydrolysate, the method comprising:

A. catalytically reacting water and a water-soluble C 2+ O 1+ oxygenated hydrocarbon in a liquid or vapor phase with H2 in the presence of a deoxygenation catalyst at a deoxygenation temperature and deoxygenation pressure to produce an oxygenate comprising a C 2+ O 1-3 hydrocarbon in a reaction stream;

B. catalytically reacting in the liquid or vapor phase the oxygenate in the presence of a condensation catalyst at a condensation temperature and condensation pressure to produce a biomass processing solvent comprising one or more C 4+ compounds;

C. reacting the biomass processing solvent with a solid biomass component, hydrogen and a deconstruction catalyst at a deconstruction temperature and a deconstruction pressure to produce a biomass hydrolysate comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of a water-soluble lignocellulose derivative, a water-soluble cellulose derivative, a water-soluble hemicellulose derivative, a carbohydrate, a starch, a monosaccharide, a disaccharide, a polysaccharide, a sugar, a sugar alcohol, an alditol, and a polyol, wherein the solid biomass component is selected from the group consisting of agricultural residues, wood materials, municipal solid waste and energy crops; and

D. recycling the biomass hydrolysate into the reactants of step C.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the biomass processing solvent comprises a member selected from the group consisting of an alkane, alkene and an aromatic.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the biomass processing solvent comprises a member selected from the group consisting of benzene, toluene and xylene.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the deconstruction catalyst comprises an acidic resin or a basic resin.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the deconstruction catalyst further comprises a member selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Ru, Rh, Pd, Pt, Re, Mo, W, an alloy thereof, and a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the deconstruction catalyst comprises a support and a member adhered to the support selected from the group consisting of Cu, Fe, Ru, Ir, Co, Rh, Pt, Pd, Ni, W, Mo, an alloy thereof, and a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the deconstruction catalyst further comprises a member selected from the group consisting of Cu, Mn, Cr, Mo, B, W, V, Nb, Ta, Ti, Zr, Y, La, Sc, Zn, Cd, Ag, Au, Sn, Ge, P, Al, Ga, In, Tl, an alloy thereof, and a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein C 2+ O 1+ hydrocarbon is selected from the group consisting of a starch, a carbohydrate, a polysaccharide, a disaccharide, a monosaccharide, a sugar, a sugar alcohol, a alditol, an organic acid, a phenol, a cresol, ethanediol, ethanedione, acetic acid, propanol, propanediol, propionic acid, glycerol, glyceraldehyde, dihydroxyacetone, lactic acid, pyruvic acid, malonic acid, a butanediol, butanoic acid, an aldotetrose, tartaric acid, an aldopentose, an aldohexose, a ketotetrose, a ketopentose, a ketohexose, a hemicellulose, a cellulosic derivative, a lignocellulosic derivative, and a polyol.

16. The method of claim 8 , wherein the condensation catalyst comprises a member selected from the group consisting of a carbide, a nitride, zirconia, alumina, silica, an aluminosilicate, a phosphate, a zeolite, a titanium oxide, a zinc oxide, a vanadium oxide, a lanthanum oxide, a yttrium oxide, a scandium oxide, a magnesium oxide, a cerium oxide, a barium oxide, a calcium oxide, a hydroxide, a heteropolyacid, an inorganic acid, an acid modified resin, a base modified resin, and combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the solid biomass component is selected from the group consisting of corn stover, straw, seed hulls, sugarcane leavings, bagasse, nutshells, cotton gin trash, manure, wood, bark, sawdust, timber slash, mill scrap, recycled paper, waste paper, yard clippings, poplars, willows, switch grass, miscanthus, sorghum, alfalfa, prairie bluestream, corn, and soybeans.

18. The method of claim 9 wherein the solid biomass component is selected from the group consisting of corn stover, straw, seed hulls, sugarcane leavings, bagasse, nutshells, cotton gin trash, manure, wood, bark, sawdust, timber slash, mill scrap, recycled paper, waste paper, yard clippings, poplars, willows, switch grass, miscanthus, sorghum, alfalfa, prairie bluestream, corn, and soybeans.