New Combined Laser Ablation Platform Determines Cell Wall Chemistry (Fact Sheet)

关键词: ABLATION;    AROMATICS;    BIOFUELS;    BIOMASS;    CELL WALL;    CHEMICAL COMPOSITION;    CHEMISTRY;    GASIFICATION;    HARMONICS;    HELIUM;    IONIZATION;    LASERS;    LIGNIN;    MASS SPECTROSCOPY;    METABOLITES;    PLANT TISSUES;    PYROLYSIS;    PYROLYSIS PRODUCTS;    SACCHARIDES;    SPECTROSCOPY LASER ABLATION;    BIOMASS;    CELL WALL;    Bioenergy;   

DOI  :  10.2172/1026577
RP-ID  :  NREL/FS-5100-51420
PID  :  OSTI ID: 1026577
Others  :  TRN: US201122%%498

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来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

NREL has designed and developed a combined laser ablation/pulsed sample introduction/mass spectrometry platform that integrates pyrolysis and/or laser ablation with resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Using this apparatus, we can measure the cell wall chemical composition of untreated biomass materials. Understanding the chemical composition of untreated biomass is key to both the biochemical and thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to biofuels. In the biochemical conversion process, the new technique provides a better understanding of the chemistry of lignin and will improve accessibility to plant sugars. In thermochemical conversion, the information provided by the new technique may help to reduce the formation of unwanted byproducts during gasification. NREL validated the ability of the system to detect pyrolysis products from plant materials using poplar, a potentially high-impact bioenergy feedstock. In the technique, biomass vapors are produced by laser ablation using the 3rd harmonic of an Nd:YAG laser (355 nm). The resulting vapors are entrained in a free jet expansion of helium, then skimmed and introduced into an ionization region. REMPI is used to ionize the vapors because it is highly sensitive for detecting lignin and aromatic metabolites. The laser ablation method was used to selectively volatilize specific plant tissues and detect lignin-based products from the vapors with enhanced sensitivity. This will allow the determination of lignin distribution in future biomass studies.