Structural changes of lignin in biorefinery pretreatments and consequences to enzyme-lignin interactions

The main target of a biorefinery pretreatment process is to break down the lignin-reinforced plant cell wall structure prior to enzymatic hydrolysis of polysaccharides to fermentable sugars. Various physico-chemical alterations occur in lignin during the biomass pretreatment, but effects of those structural changes on subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis have remained ambiguous. We review the reinforcing and detrimental lignin-enzyme interactions and their underlying mechanisms, and use this structure-function information to assess critical features of current and emerging pretreatment technologies. Our perspective is that truly multidisciplinary research is needed to develop pretreatments that render lignin non-inhibiting to enzymes and with high potential for further valorisation.

Keywords

Lignin, Structure, Biomass, Processing, Enzymatic, Saccharification, Hydrolysis, Non-productive, Adsorption

DOI

10.3183/npprj-2017-32-04_p550-571_sipponen

Citation

Sipponen , M , Rahikainen , J , Leskinen , T , Pihlajaniemi , V , Mattinen , M-L , Lange , H , Crestini , C & Österberg , M 2017 , ' Structural changes of lignin in biorefinery pretreatments and consequences to enzyme-lignin interactions ' , Nordic Pulp & Paper Research Journal , vol. 32 , no. 4 , pp. 547-568 . https://doi.org/10.3183/npprj-2017-32-04_p550-571_sipponen

Permanent link to this item

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-201802091219

Collections

[article-cris] Kemian tekniikan korkeakoulu / CHEM

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