Characterization of Bio-oils from Alkaline Pretreatment and Hydrothermal Liquefaction (APHL) of Cypress.

Four bio-oils obtained from the hydrothermal liquefaction (at 280 °C for 0 min) of untreated and pretreated cypresses were subjected to several types of chemical analyses to compare their structural features and chemical constituents. Pretreatments were carried out with alkali at 90 °C for 0.5, 1, and 2 h. The bio-oils were further divided into water-soluble oil, diethyl ether-soluble oil, and diethyl ether-insoluble oil fractions. Alkaline pretreatment had a significant effect on the contents of different components in the bio-oils. The diethyl ether-insoluble oil fraction was made up of intermediate-sized macromolecular fragments of lignin decomposed during the hydrothermal liquefaction process. The G6 resonance, β-5, β-β', and β-O-4' peaks (which were present in the spectra of milled-wood lignin) almost disappeared from the spectra of the diethyl ether-insoluble oil fractions obtained via hydrothermal liquefaction of pretreated and untreated cypresses. At the same time, the intensities of the peaks corresponding to methoxy groups, G₂, and G₅ resonances were reduced. Long-duration alkaline pretreatment created a strong, highly water-soluble oil fraction with a wide molecular weight distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]