Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 25, 2026

Towards Biomimicking Wood: Fabricated Free-standing Films of Nanocellulose, Lignin, and a Synthetic Polycation
Published on: June 17, 2014
Fuels and chemicals from hemicellulose sugars
Xiao-Jun Ji1, He Huang, Zhi-Kui Nie
1State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing University of Technology, No. 5 Xinmofan Rd., Nanjing, 210009, China.
Abstract:
Industrial processes of lignocellulosic material have made use of only the hexose component of the cellulose fraction. Pentoses and some minor hexoses present in the hemicellulose fraction, which may represent as much as 40% of lignocellulosic biomass, have in most cases been wasted. The lack of good methods for utilization of hemicellulose sugars is a key obstacle hindering the development of lignocellulose-based ethanol and other biofuels. In this chapter, we focus on the utilization of hemicellulose sugars, the structure of hemicellulose and its hydrolysis, and the biochemistry and process technology involved in their conversion to valuable fuels and chemicals.
Related Concept Videos
Chemistry of Carbohydrates
Biofuels
Dietary Connections
Sugars as Energy Storage Molecules
Sugars as Energy Storage Molecules
Fates of Pyruvate
In aerobic organisms, pyruvate is metabolized via the citric acid cycle to produce reduced coenzymes NADH and FADH2. These coenzymes are then oxidized in the electron transport chain to produce ATP and, in the process, regenerate the NAD+ and FAD. As seen in some cell types and organisms, fermentation...

