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Introduction: Potential of Cellulosic Ethanol

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Lignocellulose Conversion

Abstract

Conversion of lignocellulosic biomass is emerging as one of the most important technologies for sustainable production of renewable fuels and chemicals due to its widespread availability, large quantity, non-competitiveness with food supply, potential as platform for green chemicals, and high mitigation effects on GHG emissions. The process for cellulosic ethanol production by enzymatic saccharification and fermentation consists of pretreatments exposing plant cell wall polysaccharides, production of reducing sugars with a (hemi) cellulolytic enzyme cocktail, and fermentation of the sugars with ethanologenic microorganisms. Simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF) and consolidate bioprocess (CBP) have been studied as cost-effective integrated processes for bioethanol production. For this purpose, ethanologenic microorganisms have been engineered to co-utilize hexoses and pentoses at a similar rate and secrete or display hydrolases on the cell surfaces. In this chapter, the role of bioethanol in sustainable society, its potential as new platform chemicals, and the current technological developments and future prospects in bioethanol research are overviewed.

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  1. Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan

    Takashi Watanabe

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  1. Takashi Watanabe
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Correspondence to Takashi Watanabe .

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  1. Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, Dept. of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Cintia 4, Naples, Italy

    Vincenza Faraco

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Watanabe, T. (2013). Introduction: Potential of Cellulosic Ethanol. In: Faraco, V. (eds) Lignocellulose Conversion. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37861-4_1

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