Low-Input Crops as Lignocellulosic Feedstock for Second-Generation Biorefineries and the Potential of Chemometrics in Biomass Quality Control

Abstract

Lignocellulose feedstock (LCF) provides a sustainable source of components to produce bioenergy, biofuel, and novel biomaterials. Besides hard and soft wood, so-called low-input plants such as Miscanthus are interesting crops to be investigated as potential feedstock for the second generation biorefinery. The status quo regarding the availability and composition of different plants, including grasses and fast-growing trees (i.e., Miscanthus, Paulownia), is reviewed here. The second focus of this review is the potential of multivariate data processing to be used for biomass analysis and quality control. Experimental data obtained by spectroscopic methods, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), can be processed using computational techniques to characterize the 3D structure and energetic properties of the feedstock building blocks, including complex linkages. Here, we provide a brief summary of recently reported experimental data for structural analysis of LCF biomasses, and give our perspectives on the role of chemometrics in understanding and elucidating on LCF composition and lignin 3D structure.