Advances in Lignocellulosic Biomass Pretreatment Strategies

Abstract

The modern world visualizes the achievement of sustainable development goals by 2030 and hence, the idea of sustainable biorefinery has gained immense attention of researchers globally. One of the most abundant organic resources worldwide is the lignocellulosic biomass. Being a promising source of renewable energy, it offers a wide range of benefits due to its environment-friendly nature, ease of availability and affordability. Three fractions make up the lignocellulosic biomass-cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin, making it a recalcitrant structure. To convert this lignocellulosic biomass into value-added products demand the disruption of its recalcitrant structure via pretreatment methods with acidic, alkaline and combined acidic-alkaline treatments being the common techniques in practice. However, the conventional pretreatment methods available are costly, consume heat as well as power, and produce a variety of secondary inhibitory compounds. These compounds hamper the accessibility of polysaccharides to the microbes and enzymes. There is a dire need to discover effective pretreatment strategies and their optimization in a way that overcomes the obstacles of operational costs, energy consumption and ensures efficiency and enhanced production of fermentable sugars. However, to make it applicable for industrial adaptation still remains a vague domain. This chapter provides an insight on the recent advances in the lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment strategies, along with an exclusive discussion and comparative study of their efficacy based on the composition of different feedstock materials. This analysis would be a doorway for the development of sustainable energy systems.