Ethanol: A Promising Green Solvent for the Deconstruction of Lignocellulose

Abstract

Growing energy demand and the need to reduce environmental impact, increase energy security, and rural economic development has encouraged the development of sustainable renewable fuels. Non‐food lignocellulosic biomass is a suitable source for sustainable energy because the biomass feedstocks are low cost, abundant, and carbon neutral. Recent thermochemical conversion studies are frequently directed at converting biomass to high quality liquid fuel precursors or chemicals in a single step. Supercritical ethanol has been selected as a promising solvent medium to deconstruct lignocellulosic biomass since the ethanol has extraordinary solubility towards lignocellulosic biomass and can be resourced from cellulosic ethanol facilities. This review provides critical insight into both catalytic and non‐catalytic strategies of lignocellulose deconstruction. In this context, the supercritical ethanol deconstruction pathways are thoroughly reviewed; gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC‐MS), one‐dimensional and two‐dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (NMR), and elemental analysis strategies towards liquid biomass deconstruction products are critically presented. This review aims to provide readers a broad and accurate roadmap of this novel biomass to biofuel conversion techniques.