Bioethanol and Natural Resources

Book excerpt: Bioethanol and Natural Resources: Substrates, Chemistry and Engineered Systems provides a comprehensive review of feedstocks, physiochemical and biological pretreatments, molecular substrates, cellulolytic and ligninolytic enzymes, and advanced technologies for producing bioethanol. Although this book provides a review of first-generation bioethanol feedstocks, chemistry, and processes, there is an emphasis on second-generation "cellulosic" ethanol production. With rapid advances in biofuels technologies and the continued global dependency on unsustainable extraction of fossil Juels, this text is timely. Although it is intended to be used as a supplemental text for advanced undergraduate or graduate level courses, the book is accessible to a non-academic audience. This book provides a unique opportunity to understand bioethanol production from the basic concepts and processes to the most cutting-edge technologies under development. Features, Reviews the most common approaches and latest technologies in bioethanol production, Describes how second-generation "cellulosic" ethanol could be sustainably produced from natural resources without compromising food supplies, Discusses the economics of producing cost-competitive bioethanol products through application of advanced technologies, production of sellable co-products, and use of multiple feedstock alternatives. Provides an overview of the chemistry of enzyme-mediated lignocellulose deconstruction, Contains over 600 references from scientific literature and industry publications Book jacket.