Ethanol Fermentation of the Enzymatic Hydrolysates from the Products Pretreated using [EMIM]Ac and Its Co-Solvents with DMF

Ethanol fermentation of the enzymatic hydrolysates from the products pretreated using 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium acetate ([EMIM]Ac) and its co-solvents with dimethylformamide (DMF) was conducted using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (D452-2). The optical density change due to the yeast cell growth, the consumption amount of monosugars (glucose, xylose), the concentration of acetate, and ethanol production yield were investigated. The co-solvent system lowered inhibition of the growth of the cells. The highest concentration of glucose (7.8 g/L) and xylose (3.6 g/L) was obtained from the enzymatic hydrolysates of the pretreated product by pure [EMIM]Ac. The initial concentration of both monosugars in the enzymatic hydrolysates was decreased with increasing fermentation time. Ethanol of Approximately 3 g/L was produced from the enzymatic hydrolysates by pure [EMIM]Ac and co-solvent with less than 50% DMF.