Topochemistry, porosity and chemical composition affecting enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials

Abstract

Lignocellulosic materials such as sugarcane bagasse represent a lowcost source of carbon for biofuel and chemical production, including cellulosic ethanol. Despite its low cost and availability, bagasse presents several technical challenges for its conversion to monomeric sugars suitable for fermentation processes. It is highly recalcitrant, which requires efficient pretreatment for enzymatic hydrolysis. Both pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis have frequently been highlighted as the most costly steps in the bioprocessing of this lignocellulosic material. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.