Teh, Wuan XinWuan XinTehHossain, Md. MokarromMd. MokarromHossainTo, Trang QuynhTrang QuynhToLEIGH ALDOUS2024-09-182024-09-182015https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84929590446&origin=resultslisthttps://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/721042The effect of ionic liquids upon the mechanical and (bio)chemical integrity of macadamia nut shells (from Macadamia integrifolia) has been investigated. Whole macadamia nuts-in-shell are notoriously difficult to crack, and the Australian macadamia nut shells used in this study required 2240 ± 430 N of force to crack. Ionic liquids were screened for their solubility values, with 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([Emim][OAc]) able to dissolve 5.5 ± 0.5 wt % macadamia nut shell. Treatment with small quantities of [Emim][OAc] resulted in weakened whole nut-in-shells that could be cracked with only ca. 46% of the displacement (0.67 ± 0.16 mm), ca. 34% of the force (760 ± 240 N) and ca. 15% of the energy (0.25 ± 0.10 J per shell) relative to no treatment. Further treatment by dissolution and precipitation of macadamia nut shell, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis with cellulase, resulted in the release of 80 ± 15% of the expected glucose content, relative to 1.3 ± 1.0% before any pretreatment. © 2015 American Chemical Society.Facilitated biomass processingIonic liquidsMacadamiaNuts-in-shellWeakening biomassjournal article10.1021/acssuschemeng.5b001262-s2.0-84929590446