Methods for Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass for Efficient Hydrolysis and Biofuel Production

TLDR

Biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass such as wood, agricultural, or forest residues can substitute or complement gasoline, yet physicochemical structural factors hinder cellulose hydrolysis, prompting the development of many pretreatment methods. The review aims to discuss pretreatment methods that make cellulose accessible for hydrolysis and conversion to fuels. Pretreatment techniques alter the physical and chemical structure of lignocellulosic biomass to enhance hydrolysis rates. Many pretreatment methods achieve high sugar yields, exceeding 90 % of the theoretical yield for lignocellulosic biomasses such as woods, grasses, and corn.

Abstract

Biofuels produced from various lignocellulosic materials, such as wood, agricultural, or forest residues, have the potential to be a valuable substitute for, or complement to, gasoline. Many physicochemical structural and compositional factors hinder the hydrolysis of cellulose present in biomass to sugars and other organic compounds that can later be converted to fuels. The goal of pretreatment is to make the cellulose accessible to hydrolysis for conversion to fuels. Various pretreatment techniques change the physical and chemical structure of the lignocellulosic biomass and improve hydrolysis rates. During the past few years a large number of pretreatment methods have been developed, including alkali treatment, ammonia explosion, and others. Many methods have been shown to result in high sugar yields, above 90% of the theoretical yield for lignocellulosic biomasses such as woods, grasses, corn, and so on. In this review, we discuss the various pretreatment process methods and the recent literature that has reported on the use of these technologies for pretreatment of various lignocellulosic biomasses.