홍조류인 Eucheuma spinosum은 카라기난을 주된 다당으로 함유하고 있으며 Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, China, Tanzania 등지에서 상업적으로 생산되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 E. spinosum을 대상으로 FeCl3-촉매 수열반응을 통하여당과 화학중간체(5-HMF, levulinic acid, formic acid)로 전환하고자 하였다. 통계적 실험법(3-수준-3-인자의 Box-Behnken design)을 적용하여 반응인자(반응온도, 촉매농도, 반응시간)의 최적화와 영향을 평가하였다. 최적화 결과, 5-HMF의 농도는 160 °C, 0.4M FeCl3, 10 min에서 2.96 g/L가 생성되었다. Levulinic acid와 formic acid의 최적 조건은 200 °C, 0.6M FeCl3, 30 min으로 결정되었고, 농도는 각각 4.26 g/L와 3.77 g/L이었다.
Eucheuma spinosum, red macro-algae, contains carrageenan as the major polysaccharide and is commercially produced in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, China and Tanzania. In this study, E. spinosum was converted to sugar and platform chemicals (5-HMF, levulinic acid, formic acid) via FeCl3-catalytic hydrothermal reaction. In addition, statistical methodology (3-level 3-factor Box-Behnken design) was applied to optimize and evaluate the effects of reaction factors (reaction temperature, catalyst concentration and reaction time). As a result of optimization, the concentration of 5-HMF was obtained to be 2.96 g/L at 160 °C, 0.4 M FeCl3 and 10 min. Optimal conditions of levulinic and formic acids were determined at 200 °C, 0.6M FeCl3 and 30 min, and the concentrations were obtained to be 4.26 g/L and 3.77 g/L, respectively.
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Results of screening for potential candidates from sugars and synthesis gas. http://www.osti.gov/bridge(2004).