Enhancing the Antioxidant Activity of Technical Lignins by Combining Solvent Fractionation and Ionic-Liquid Treatment.

A grass soda technical lignin (PB1000) underwent a process combining solvent fractionation and treatment with an ionic liquid (IL), and a comprehensive investigation of the structural modifications was performed by using high-performance size-exclusion chromatography, 31 P NMR spectroscopy, thioacidolysis, and GC-MS. Three fractions with distinct reactivity were recovered from successive ethyl acetate (EA), butanone, and methanol extractions. In parallel, a fraction deprived of EA extractives was obtained. The samples were treated with methyl imidazolium bromide ([HMIM]Br) by using either conventional heating or microwave irradiation. The treatment allowed us to solubilize 28 % of the EA-insoluble fraction and yielded additional free phenols in all the fractions, as a consequence of depolymerization and demethylation. The gain of the combined process in terms of antioxidant properties was demonstrated through 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH. ) radical-scavenging tests. Integrating further IL safety-related data and environmental considerations, this study paves the way for the sustainable production of phenolic oligomers competing with commercial antioxidants.