Selective deconstruction of hemicellulose and lignin with producing derivatives by sequential pretreatment process for biorefining concept

•A sequential process was proposed for total utilization of woody biomass.•Hemicellulose was selectively decomposed with producing xylooligomers.•Lignin was degraded by 50% diluted PAA treatment with producing dicarboxylic acids.•Cellulose accessibility to the enzyme was improved by constituent deconstruction. For improving the economic efficiency of the biorefining concept, selective decomposition and separation of biomass components is indispensable. In this respect, a sequential pretreatment process consisting of liquid hot water treatment and diluted peracetic acid (PAA) treatment was proposed for total utilization of lignocellulosic woody biomass. During the liquid hot water treatment, hemicellulose can be decomposed efficiently without significant loss of cellulose and lignin, implying the possibility for xylooligomer production by thermochemical treatment. In the PAA treatment, lignin was successfully degraded and liquefied using a 50% diluted PAA solvent, suggesting the possibility of dicarboxylic acid production. After the sequential process proposed in this study, the cellulose accessibility to the enzyme could be maximized by inducing selective deconstruction of hemicellulose and lignin.