• Lignocellulosic Biomass
• Cellulose
• Butyl Levulinate
• Biofuels
• Arundo Donax
• Alcoholysisi
• Organosolv

The continue depletion of fossil sources and their environmental impact represent one of the main problems of this century and in this contest the replacement of fossil resources with renewable alternatives to produce chemicals and biofuels represents one of the most important challenges for industrial chemistry.
Among renewable alternatives, lignocellulosic biomass seems to be a good alternatives it is a major source of organic carbon that does not compete with the food industry.
In this context, the aim of this work is the complete valorisation of a strategic lignocellulosic biomass, Arundo Donax L., characterized by low cost and wide availability in Mediterranean Area, in the framework of an integrated biorefinery approach. The first part of the work focused on the fractionation of biomass into the three main components: cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. To do this an organosolv treatment was used, using a biphasic butanol/diluted acid system, and a microwave heating system.
The recovery of the three components is possible by their repartition in three distinct phases. Indeed, the challenge is to obtain, after the process, a solid fraction rich in glucan, an aqueous phase rich in hemicellulose-derived sugars and a butanol phase where lignin is dissolved.
In this context the solid fraction rich in cellulose will be submitted to one pot acid catalysed butanolysis to obtain n-butyl levulinate. Interest for alkyl levulinates is continuously increasing because of their use as fuel additives. In this way the same alcohol (n-butanol) will be the agent for organosolv fractionation and the alcoholysis reactant, with the aim of developing a circular process, with the recovery of butanol from organosolv treatment and its reuse in the subsequent reaction of alcoholysis.
Sulphuric acid as a catalyst and a conventional heating system were used.
The butyl levulinate blends thus produced represent an additive completely green for diesel fuels, given also the possibility of obtaining butanol itself from renewable sources.
In this work the same alcohol (n-butanol) was used as the agent for organosolv fractionation and the alcoholysis reactant, with the aim of developing a circular process, with the recovery of butanol from organosolv treatment and its reuse in the subsequent reaction of alcoholysis.