Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) is a highly renewable natural resource, making it a promising starting material for the production of ethanol and other biofuels. LCB includes materials such as corn stover, sawdust, woodchips, straw, wheat stover, and algae. Its primary components are cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. LCB's rigid and compact structure makes its cellulose molecules difficult to break down into fermentable sugars through enzymatic hydrolysis, so pretreatment is required.
Dilute acid pretreatment can significantly improve the enzymatic hydrolysis of LCB into fermentable sugars. However, it also results in carbonyl-containing hydrolysates that ultimately inhibit the subsequent fermentation of the sugars into biofuel.
Dr. Maobing Tu, Professor at the University of Cincinnati, has developed a new LCB pretreatment method. The invention maintains the improved hydrolysis and access to sugars from dilute acid pretreatment. Additionally, the technology also avoids inhibition of fermentation through the addition of specific proteins and amino acids which react with the inhibitory carbonyl compounds in hydrolysates. This allows for successful dilute acid pretreatment of LCB and subsequent fermentation into useful biofuels without additional detoxification processing. Initial testing has shown increased glucose consumption and ethanol production compared to dilute acid pretreatment alone.