Propanol production through microbial fermentation of biomass

As a key short-chain alcohol compound, propanol has a diverse range of applications in solvents, pharmaceutical intermediates, fuel additives, and other fields. With the increasing global demand for sustainable development and green chemistry, the production technology of biopropanol is gradually shifting from traditional petroleum-based chemical synthesis to biosynthesis based on microbial fermentation. This paper reviews the recent research progress in the field of biopropanol production, encompassing various aspects such as natural propanol-producing strains, genetically engineered strains, metabolic pathway design, fermentation process optimization, and downstream purification technologies. Despite the remarkable progress in biopropanol production technology, it still faces numerous challenges, including the low production efficiency of natural microorganisms, the strong inhibitory effect of the product, and poor substrate conversion rates. Future research can be directed toward optimizing fermentation conditions, integrating downstream separation technology, and developing highly active key enzyme components and artificial metabolic pathways to enhance the production efficiency of biopropanol and improve its feasibility for industrial applications.