(2025) Chemosphere_Feasibility of saccharide-rich invasive seaweed biomass valorisation for levulinic acid and syngas production

Kim J.Y.; Park J.; Lee D.-J.; Jeon Y.J.; Yim J.H.; Choi Y.-B.; Kwon E.E.

(Elsevier Ltd) Chemosphere ISSN: 456535 Vol.385 Issue. Article No.144592 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2025.144592

 The production of levulinic acid from waste biomass through acid-catalysed hydrolysis is a promising approach, yet the management of the resulting residual biomass remains a challenge. This study introduced a cascading thermochemical valorisation system for producing platform chemicals (levulinic acid and syngas) from saccharide-rich invasive seaweed biomass. The acid-catalysed hydrolysis of saccharide-rich invasive seaweed biomass was performed to produce levulinic acid through a sequential pathway: hydrolysis of biomass, conversion of sugar compounds into intermediate chemicals, and subsequent rehydration of these intermediates into levulinic acid. A higher concentration of sulphuric acid enhanced the yield of levulinic acid, with a yield of 10.5 wt% using 1.8 M sulphuric acid. After the acid-catalysed hydrolysis, the residual sulphur-rich biomass was catalytically pyrolysed using a nickel-doped catalyst in the temperature range of 100–700 °C to produce syngas. The use of CO₂ instead of N₂ as the gas medium during catalytic pyrolysis of the residual biomass led to an increase in syngas generation, attributed to the active participation of CO₂ in gas-phase reactions. It was estimated that $1,120.4 ton−1 in net revenue (sales of the products minus the cost of consumed resources) could be generated from the treatment of invasive seaweed biomass by combining acid-catalysed hydrolysis with CO₂-assisted catalytic pyrolysis. Given that levulinic acid and syngas can be used as building blocks for green chemical production, the cascading thermochemical valorisation platform can contribute to the sustainable management of marine organic waste. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd

 This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), funded by the Ministry of Education (RS-2023-00272302). This work was also supported by an NRF grant funded by the Korean Government (MSIT) (No. RS-2023-00219667).