Effects of Pretreatment on the Biocatalysis of Renewable Resources

Within a biorefinery platform several conversion steps such as pretreatment, saccharification, fermentation and downstream processing are necessary to obtain the final bio‐based product(s) from lignocellulosic biomass. The structural composition of the biomass, especially the lignin content, determines the necessary pretreatment steps. To obtain sugar monomers, the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass is an essential step. This work examines the impact of different pretreatments on the sugar release during biocatalysis. Even without prior pretreatment the biocatalysis of low lignin biomass achieves glucose yields of up to 93 %, while the biocatalysis of high lignin biomass requires an upstream hydrothermal procedure to achieve a glucose yield of 74 %. The biocatalysis process is a key step in the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass. As such, prior pretreatment of the material as well as the enzyme kinetics should be considered carefully for a successful biorefinery concept. The lignin content of the biomass is a major factor influencing the pretreatment process.