Lignocellulose pretreatment: A versatile platform for in situ valorisation

Area of Science:

• Biomass Valorisation
• Biochemical Engineering
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Lignocellulose valorisation is crucial for biorefineries.
• Pretreatment is key to overcoming biomass recalcitrance.
• Traditional pretreatment focuses on fractionation and downstream impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a new perspective on multifunctional pretreatment.
• To highlight in situ production of valuable platform products during pretreatment.
• To discuss strategies for intensifying valorisation and trade-offs.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on lignocellulose pretreatment.
• Analysis of pretreatment as a multifunctional transformation process.
• Discussion of concurrent valorisation strategies.

Main Results:

• Pretreatment is more than tackling recalcitrance; it's a multifunctional transformation.
• Lignocellulose pretreatment serves as a platform for in situ production of phenolics, xylooligosaccharides, and furan aldehydes.
• Strategies for intensifying in situ valorisation and associated trade-offs are identified.

Conclusions:

• Shifting focus from solely fractionation to multifunctional pretreatment enables concurrent valorisation.
• Pretreatment can be optimized for simultaneous biomass upgrading and valuable product generation.
• This approach enhances the economic viability of lignocellulose-based processes.