Chapter 9 - Value-added products derived from lignocellulosic biomass

Abstract

Due to the depletion of fossil fuels and concerns regarding climate change, the production of bioenergy and several other useful products derived from biomass have received significant attention in recent years. Several different thermochemical and biochemical pathways are used for the successful utilization of various lignocellulosic biomass (LCB). The cellulose of LCB is widely utilized for the formation of biopolymers and several different forms of crystalline and fibrous cellulose. Cellulolytic enzymes such as cellulase and xylanase have been exhaustively studied for bioconversion and as a product obtained from lignocellulose fermentation. The catalytic conversion of renewable biomass to green and platform chemicals have also been extensively investigated. As a result, numerous organic acids such as succinic, formic, citric, levulinic, and carboxylic acids have also been obtained as value-added products from LCB. This chapter provides a detailed insight on the advances in chemical and biochemical pathways for the formation of several value-added products from LCB.