Recent advances in upcycling lignocellulosic biomass through chemoenzymatic processes

Abstract

Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) has long been treated as easily available and low-cost renewable source to produce value-added chemicals. Enzymatic and chemical catalysis have long been applied for valorization of LCB. However, the intrinsic limitations of enzymatic/chemical catalysis hinder the practical application of LCB. Therefore, integrating both catalysts could be a promising strategy to overcome the drawbacks of single system. In this review, we focus on the recent advances in utilizing and upgrading lignocellulosic biomass through combined chemoenzymatic processes. The chemoenzymatic synthetic processes of furan derivatives, aromatic compounds, and other value-added chemicals starting from raw LCB or LCB-derived platform compounds are highlighted. Further, the limitations and future perspectives are discussed to facilitate the future research.