Depolymerization of Cellulose Assisted by a Nonthermal Atmospheric Plasma

摘要

Concerns about the depletion of fossil carbon reserves and global warming have led to the progressive introduction of biomass as a renewable source of carbon in the chemical industry. Carbohydrates represent 75% of the annual production of biomass (estimated to 1 x 10~(11) tons) and thus appear as a central raw material for chemistry. In this context, the depolymerization of these carbohydrate-based biopolymers is a preliminary and necessary step from which fine chemicals, transportation fuels, and platform molecules can be more easily produced. However, carbohydrates are mostly available as stable biopolymers thus making their depolymerization difficult.