The nature of lignocellulosics and their pretreatments for enzymatic hydrolysis

Abstract

The imminent shortage of fossil fuels and their skyrocketing prices have intensified research for bioconversion of lignocellulosics to fuels. Lignocellulosic biomass is a renewable and low cost energy resource and is available in vast amounts. Enzymatic hydrolysis of native lignocellulosics is prohibitively slow so that it is difficult to develop an economically viable process; therefore, pretreatment is an essential prerequisite to enhance the susceptibility of lignocellulosic residues to enzyme action. This review encompasses the nature of lignocellulosic materials, the nature of lignocellulosic structural resistance to enzymatic attack, and various pretreatment methods and their mechanisms.