*Corresponding Author: S. Usha Nandhini, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Email: usha.biotech@sathyabama.ac.in
The second generation bioethanol should not be converted using lignocellulosic biomass because it does not dissolve easily due to its rigid structure and lignin-carbohydrate bonding. Pre-treatment is thus an important procedure to increase the fermentation efficiency and enzymatic access. The use of pretreatment with alkali followed by microwave irradiation has become one of the potential green and energy-saving strategies of biomass valorization in recent years. This review is a critical analysis of the synergistic effect of using the microwave-assisted alkali pretreatment of lignocellulosic feedstocks, particularly corncob, a sustainable raw material.
The concurrent process takes advantage of the fast dielectric heating of the microwave and the delignification nature of the alkali reagents to promote the level of accessibility, crystallinity, and reaction time of cellulose. Comparative analysis indicates that microwave-assisted alkali pretreatment achieves substantial level of delignification, saccharification and ethanol yielding with minimal chemical usage and process severity relative to the conventional processes. The mechanistic understandings, the optimization parameters of processes and the downstream effects on the enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation are well-explained. Moreover, the review supports the sustainability, techno-economic viability, and scale-up issue of this hybrid technology.
Altogether, microwave-assisted alkali pretreatment is a potentially promising and ecologically friendly process intensification strategy in lignocellulosic biorefinery, which will allow effective ethanol and other value bioproducts to be produced within a circular bioeconomy platform.
Keywords: Microwave-Assisted Pretreatment, Alkali Pretreatment, Corncob Valorization, Lignocellulosic Biomass, Second-Generation Bioethanol, Delignification, Process Intensification, Sustainable Biorefinery.
How to cite this article: Swetha K, Ambrose MA, Nandhini SU. Synergistic effects of alkali pretreatment and microwave irradiation: a green strategy for efficient lignocellulosic bioethanol production. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(6s): 90-100; DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.6s.11
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: None