Hydrothermal pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for hemicellulose recovery

[Display omitted] •Hydrothermal pretreatment is a selective technique to recover hemicellulose.•Control of hydrothermal pretreatment parameters enables the generation of different products.•Hydrothermal pretreatment enables the XOS recovery with different degree of polymerization.•Furan compounds are considered of high value-added in chemical biorefineries.•Hydrothermal pretreatment is suitable as first-stage in a biorefinery. The hemicellulosic fraction recovery is of interest for integrated processes in biorefineries, considering the possibility of high economic value products produced from their structural compounds of this polysaccharide. However, to perform an efficient recovery, it is necessary to use biomass fractionation techniques, and hydrothermal pretreatment is highlighted as a valuable technique in the hemicellulose recovery by applying high temperatures and pressure, causing dissolution of the structure. Considering the possibility of this pretreatment technique for current approaches to hemicellulose recovery, this article aimed to explore the relevance of hydrothermal pretreatment techniques (sub and supercritical water) as a strategy for recovering the hemicellulosic fraction from lignocellulosic biomass. Discussions about potential products to be generated, current market profile, and perspectives and challenges of applying the technique are also addressed.