Separating lignin from cellulose in biomass is a necessary pretreatment step prior to converting them to biofuels or bioproducts. If byproducts from food production can be separated in an ecofriendly solvent at low pressures, biomass specifically grown for biorefining will not need to be shipped long distances. Thus, this project will allow participants to gain knowledge in the upconversion of agricultural byproducts using DES and the importance of improving the properties of materials such as asphalt and cement.^{103, 104} Specifically, participants interested in this project will investigate the use of choline chloride–based DES for separating out lignin from sweet potato vines, which will then be integrated into construction materials. Preliminary results have shown that the acetic acid:choline chloride DES was most effective for reducing molecular weight and increasing PDI for rice husks and sugarcane bagasse, but a lactic acid:choline chloride DES improved these properties for coffee chaff. As an example, the image shows the effect of acetic acid-DES on higher heating values (HHV) for lignins extracted from rice husks, sugarcane bagasse, and corn stover.