03/01/2011
Improving Access to Cellulose in Biomass for Biofuel Production
Summary
The conversion of cellulosic biomass to fermentable sugars usually requires costly, time-consuming pretreatment to increase the material’s porosity, decrease its crystallinity, and reduce the amount of structural lignin in the cell wall. Researchers used small-angle neutron scattering at the High-Flux Isotope Reactor to probe the morphological changes of switchgrass cell walls during dilute acid pretreatment, elucidating the interplay of different biomolecular components in the breakdown process. The results are important for the development of efficient strategies to convert biomass to biofuel.
References
Pingali, S. V., et al. 2010. “Breakdown of Cell Wall Nanostructure in Dilute Acid Pretreated Biomass,” Biomacromolecules 11, 2329–35.