Non-thermal plasma and lignocelullose susbstrates in biorefinery processes

Abstract

Lignocelullosic substrates are abundant and available in almost all parts of the world. However, we are still lacking efficient ways to valorise it due to recalcitrant nature of lignocelullose and presence of lignin which prevents enzymatic hydrolisis of cellulose. The compact nature of lignocellulose biomass prevents its wider application in biorefineries. Effective way to separate lignin from cellulose or to make cellulose more accessible to enzymes remains challenge. Among lignocellulose biomass, agricultural by-products like corn stalks or husks are considered more convenient as substrates as they contain less lignin then wood biomass and therefore can be more easily degraded. However, acid or alkaline hydrolysis are the most common approach in pretreatment of lignocellulose substrates, but they are not selective, lead to loss of significant amount of sugars and cause generation of inhibitory substances in hydrolysate. Additionally, acid and alkaline pretreatments are performed at elevated temperatures and have significant environmental impact.