Preparation and characterization of novel green magnetic nanocatalyst for cellulosic biomass degradation under mild conditions

• We prepare new green nanocatalyst functionalized with carboxylic and imidazole groups.
• Green nanocatalyst catalyze the cleavage of β-1,4-glycosyl bonds under mild condition.
• The green magnetic nanocatalyst can be recovered and recycled.

This paper describes the preparation and characterization of a green magnetic nanocatalyst (GMN) that is functionalized with carboxyl and imidazole groups, which hydrolyze β-1,4-glycosidic bonds with a high catalytic efficiency. The GMN mimics the structure of the active sites of polysaccharide-degrading enzymes under mild conditions (pH 5). The maximal glucose yield of 0.53 mg/mL and xylose yield of 0.17 mg/mL were obtained from the enzyme cocktail of GMN and cellulase. The GMN also retained a significant amount of activity after five consecutive reaction cycles.

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