Recent advancements in pretreatment technologies of biomass to produce bioenergy

Lignocellulosic biomass is widely available biomaterial that can be utilized for the substantial production of bioenergy such as biodiesel. However, the complicated structure of lignocellulosic materials inhibits the recovery of value-added products through bioconversion. This obstruction of recalcitrant nature of biomaterials can be resolved effectively by several pretreatment approaches. There are a number of pretreatment methods such as physical, chemical, biological, physico-chemical, and combination of different treatments. It is the initial step in any bioconversion processes, that can eliminate lignin and enhances the availability of fermentable sugars. The selection of pretreatment depends on the types of biomass selected, operating variables, economic feasibility, reduced inhibitory formation, etc. This chapter presents an overview of various pretreatments, mechanism of action, advantages, disadvantages, and challenges involved in each treatment.