Supercritical methanolysis of rice straw pretreated with Trichoderma sp. AH

Supercritical methanolysis (SCM) of pretreated rice straw (RS) with the white-rot fungus Trichoderma sp. AH was investigated. Structural change of the pretreated RS was examined by Fourier transform infrared spectrometric analysis and chemical analysis as well as observation with a scanning electron microscope. The optimal pretreatment time is 10 days, obtaining the maximum methanol-soluble portion (MSP) yield of 28.2% at 260 °C, compared with the MSP yield of 20.9% from SCM of the unpretreated RS. Under such conditions, the yields of esters, especially methyl 12-methyltetradecanoate, methyl palmitate, methyl 3,7,11,15-tetramethylpalmitate, methyl (9Z,12Z)-octadeca-9,12-dienoate, and methyl (E)-octadec-13-enoate, significantly increase.