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\"Key features : the text provides the most recent information about waste biomass utilization for the production of biofuels and biochemicals. Shows a wide range of novel technologies in the field of biotechnology towards waste biomass utilization. Focuses on the utilization of microbial resources for waste biomass conversion into value-added products. Explores methods for food wastes and crop wastes conversion into biofuels and biochemicals. Provides the scientific information describing various examples and case studies which aid gaining knowledge to researchers and academicians\"-- Provided by publisher.

Synthetic N-heterocyclic compounds, such as quinoxalines, have shown a crucial role in pharmaceutical as well as food and dye industries. However, the traditional synthesis toward N-heterocycles relies on multistep energy and cost-intensive non-sustainable processes. Here, we report a facile approach that allows one-step conversion of biomass-derived carbohydrates to valuable quinoxalines in the presence of aryl-1,2-diamines in water without any harmful metal catalysts/organic solvents via spontaneously engineering involved cascade reactions under hydrothermal conditions. Aryl-1,2-diamines are revealed as the key to propel this transformation through boosting carbohydrate fragmentation into small 1,2-dicarbonyl intermediates and subsequently trapping them for constituting stable quinoxaline scaffolds therefore avoiding a myriad of undesired side reactions. The tunability of product selectivity can be also achievable by adjusting the basicity of the reaction environment. Both batch and continuous-flow integrated processes were verified for production of quinoxalines in an exceptionally eco-benign manner (E-factor <1), showing superior sustainability and economic viability.

Purpose of Review For the past few decades, consumers have increasingly demanded biodegradable, petroleum-free, and safe products for the environment, humans, and animals, with improved performance. In terms of energy consumption, modern society has progressively sought to reduce fossil fuel utilization and greenhouse gas emissions. This review presents and discusses the possibilities of using biomass residues that are derived from forest operations and wood manufacturing to produce biofuels and biomaterials as sustainable alternatives that could boost the development of renewable technologies and bio-economy. Recent Findings Forest biomass residues are composed primarily of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in varying proportions depending upon the species. Residues from forest operations have heterogeneous compositions due to the presence of branches, foliage, tree tops, and bark, compared with those derived from wood manufacturing industries. Several technological approaches have been developed to add value to forest biomass residues through their conversion to biomaterials such as wood-based composite panels, wood-plastic composites, wood pellets, and biofuels, such as biochar, bio-oil, syngas (thermochemical approach), and biogas (biochemical approach). Summary Forest biomass residues are valuable lignocellulosic materials, but research is still required regarding their conversion into value-added products given their heterogeneous compositions and varied physicochemical properties. Obstacles such as transportation costs and their complex structural and chemical mechanisms that resist decomposition need to be better overcome in developing high-quality and economically viable biofuels and biomaterials. In contrast, wood-based panels, composites, pellets, and biofuels produced by the wood manufacturing industries exhibit superior properties and characteristics for commercialization. Recent studies regarding valorization of forest biomass residues are a welcome recognition of the need to transition to a sustainable economy, and a definitive strategy for achieving objectives that have been set for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Biofuels are clean and renewable energy resources gaining increased attention as a potential replacement for non-renewable petroleum-based fuels. They are derived from biomass that could either be animal-based or belong to any of the three generations of plant biomass (agricultural crops, lignocellulosic materials, or algae). Over 130 studies including experimental research, case studies, literature reviews, and website publications related to bioethanol production were evaluated; different methods and techniques have been tested by scientists and researchers in this field, and the most optimal conditions have been adopted for the generation of biofuels from biomass. This has ultimately led to a subsequent scale-up of procedures and the establishment of pilot, demo, and large-scale plants/biorefineries in some regions of the world. Nevertheless, there are still challenges associated with the production of bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass, such as recalcitrance of the cell wall, multiple pretreatment steps, prolonged hydrolysis time, degradation product formation, cost, etc., which have impeded the implementation of its large-scale production, which needs to be addressed. This review gives an overview of biomass and bioenergy, the structure and composition of lignocellulosic biomass, biofuel classification, bioethanol as an energy source, bioethanol production processes, different pretreatment and hydrolysis techniques, inhibitory product formation, fermentation strategies/process, the microorganisms used for fermentation, distillation, legislation in support of advanced biofuel, and industrial projects on advanced bioethanol. The ultimate objective is still to find the best conditions and technology possible to sustainably and inexpensively produce a high bioethanol yield.

The significant increase in demand for fuels and chemicals driven by global economic expansion has exacerbated concerns over fossil fuel consumption and environmental pollution. To achieve sustainable production of fuels and chemicals, biomass resources provide a rich repository for carbon‐neutral, green renewable energy, and organic carbon. This paper reviews the transformation and utilization of lignocellulosic biomass and its derivatives, emphasizing their valorization into high‐quality chemicals and biofuels. The advantages and disadvantages of various pretreatment methods are discussed based on the composition of lignocellulose. Furthermore, the methods and pathways for the valorization and conversion of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin are detailed according to the unique functional groups of different lignocellulosic platform molecules. However, the complex and resilient structure of biomass presents challenges for the disassembly and utilization of single components, and achieving high yields and selectivity for target products remains difficult. In conclusion, this paper comprehensively reviews the various types and pretreatment technologies of lignocellulose, focusing on the methods and pathways for the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass and its derivatives, thereby providing clear guidance and insights for optimizing lignocellulose utilization in the future. In recent years, many reviews have primarily focused on the conversion of biomass into biofuels or its value‐added through various methods, such as pretreatment methods, conversion techniques, and types of catalysts. Therefore, this paper comprehensively summarizes the latest progress in the conversion of lignocellulose into high‐value chemicals and fuels. While briefly introducing the structure of biomass, it discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different pretreatment methods and further explores the main pathways and methods for the value‐added of cellulose/hemicellulose and lignin (Figure 1). In the future, the development of biomass conversion technology will focus on the design and development of efficient catalysts, particularly those with high activity, selectivity, and stability, as well as the optimization of biocatalysts. In terms of process integration and optimization, coupling different conversion technologies with intelligent control can enhance overall efficiency and economic viability. The advancement of biomass value‐added technologies will promote the efficient and sustainable utilization of biomass resources, providing a solid technical foundation for the development of a green economy.

This paper is based on a lecture presented to the Royal Society in London on 24 June 2019. Two of the grand societal and technological challenges of the twenty-first century are the ‘greening' of chemicals manufacture and the ongoing transition to a sustainable, carbon neutral economy based on renewable biomass as the raw material, a so-called bio-based economy. These challenges are motivated by the need to eliminate environmental degradation and mitigate climate change. In a bio-based economy, ideally waste biomass, particularly agricultural and forestry residues and food supply chain waste, are converted to liquid fuels, commodity chemicals and biopolymers using clean, catalytic processes. Biocatalysis has the right credentials to achieve this goal. Enzymes are biocompatible, biodegradable and essentially non-hazardous. Additionally, they are derived from inexpensive renewable resources which are readily available and not subject to the large price fluctuations which undermine the long-term commercial viability of scarce precious metal catalysts. Thanks to spectacular advances in molecular biology the landscape of biocatalysis has dramatically changed in the last two decades. Developments in (meta)genomics in combination with ‘big data’ analysis have revolutionized new enzyme discovery and developments in protein engineering by directed evolution have enabled dramatic improvements in their performance. These developments have their confluence in the bio-based circular economy. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Science to enable the circular economy'.

The derivation of second-generation biofuels from non-edible biomass is viewed as crucial for establishing a sustainable bio-based economy for the future. The inertness of lignocellulosic biomass makes its breakdown for conversion into fuels and other compounds a challenge. Enzyme cocktails can be utilized in the bio-refinery for lignocellulose deconstruction but until recently their costs were regarded as high. Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) offer tremendous promise for further process improvements owing to their ability to boost the activity of biomass-degrading enzyme consortia. Combining data from multiple disciplines, progress has been made in understanding the biochemistry of LPMOs. We review the academic literature in this area and highlight some of the key questions that remain. LPMOs have emerged as key enzymes utilized in biology for the degradation of biomass. The identification of new LPMO families and LPMOs within already known families with new enzyme activities is considerably expanding our knowledge of biomass degradation in biology. Efforts to understand the chemistry of these enzymes, which catalyze one of the most challenging oxidations in Nature, has important implications beyond biomass breakdown. Demonstrable benefits of LPMO action on industrially-relevant biomass offer increased hope for the development of a more sustainable bio-based economy for the future.

The worldwide fossil fuel reserves are rapidly and continually being depleted as a result of the rapid increase in global population and rising energy sector needs. Fossil fuels should not be used carelessly since they produce greenhouse gases, air pollution, and global warming, which leads to ecological imbalance and health risks. The study aims to discuss the alternative renewable energy source that is necessary to meet the needs of the global energy industry in the future. Both microalgae and macroalgae have great potential for several industrial applications. Algae-based biofuels can surmount the inadequacies presented by conventional fuels, thereby reducing the ‘food versus fuel’ debate. Cultivation of algae can be performed in all three systems; closed, open, and hybrid frameworks from which algal biomass is harvested, treated and converted into the desired biofuels. Among these, closed photobioreactors are considered the most efficient system for the cultivation of algae. Different types of closed systems can be employed for the cultivation of algae such as stirred tank photobioreactor, flat panel photobioreactor, vertical column photobioreactor, bubble column photobioreactor, and horizontal tubular photobioreactor. The type of cultivation system along with various factors, such as light, temperature, nutrients, carbon dioxide, and pH affect the yield of algal biomass and hence the biofuel production. Algae-based biofuels present numerous benefits in terms of economic growth. Developing a biofuel industry based on algal cultivation can provide us with a lot of socio-economic advantages contributing to a publicly maintainable result. This article outlines the third-generation biofuels, how they are cultivated in different systems, different influencing factors, and the technologies for the conversion of biomass. The benefits provided by these new generation biofuels are also discussed. The development of algae-based biofuel would not only change environmental pollution control but also benefit producers' economic and social advancement.

Sustainable development is imperative, and the worldwide energy production must focus on the transition from petroleum derivatives to biomass-based biofuels and bioproducts to achieve a bio-based economy. The global interest in the processing of waste biomass to obtain bio-based products is continuously increasing. However, biorefineries have not yet been consolidated. The effective conversion of biomass components for the generation of value-added biochemicals and biofuels is a determining factor for the economic success of biorefineries. Therefore, exhaustive research has been performed to consolidate the biorefinery industry. This review summarizes the current advances in liquid biofuel production and solid catalysts prepared from waste biomass, as well as their advantages, drawbacks, and statistical data. It offers an extensive perspective, covering conventional methods and cutting-edge techniques such as biochemical and thermochemical biomass conversion technologies (e.g., hydrolysis, fermentation, pyrolysis, and gasification) to produce bioalcohols, biodiesel, renewable diesel, bio-jet, and bio-oil. In addition, the preparation of heterogeneous catalysts using residual biomass and different synthesis routes and their role in biofuel production were analyzed. This review contributes to the analysis of the importance of identifying and valorizing a wide spectrum of raw materials (i.e., urban, forestry, industrial, and agricultural) that have the potential to be used as catalyst precursors and biofuel feedstock. Finally, a techno-economic analysis, the main challenges, and the future scope of the diverse methods used to prepare biofuels and catalysts are discussed. This review examines numerous aspects from biomass to catalysts, thus providing relevant information for researchers, students, policymakers, and industry experts.