In general, present invention concerns an integrated lignocellulose-to-chemicals biorefinery, enabling production of renewable n-propylbenzene, phenolic oligomers, and carbohydrate pulp from lignocellulosic biomass. And it concerns an integrated biorefinery, enabling production of renewable n-propylbenzene, phenolic oligomers, and carbohydrate pulp from lignocellulosic biomass.

An evaporative device has a piece of at least partially-delignified plant material. The at least partially-delignified plant material has a modified microstructure including a plurality of vessels, a plurality of fibers, and a plurality of engineered micropores. Each vessel can define a first lumen having a maximum cross-sectional dimension of at least 100 m. Each fiber can define a second lumen having a maximum cross-sectional dimension less than or equal to 20 m. The engineered micropores can extend through walls of the vessels or fibers so as to fluidically interconnect the first and second lumina. In some embodiments, the plant material is reed or bamboo.

A piece of natural plant material is subjected to one or more chemical treatments to remove substantially all lignin therefrom, thereby allowing the extraction of delignified, cellulose-based fibers. For example, the natural plant material can be a grass, such as bamboo or gladiolus. Subsequent drying of the extracted fiber densifies the structure, yielding improved mechanical properties. In some embodiments, the extracted fibers can be used, either alone or in combination with other materials, as a structural material. For example, the extracted fibers can be embedded within, infiltrated with, coated by, or otherwise combined with a polymer or concrete to form a composite material.