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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