Advances in Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Applications
A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical Processes and Systems".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 June 2026 | Viewed by 2241
Special Issue Editors
Interests: biomass pretreatment; enzymatic hydrolysis; biofuels
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The conversion of biomass into valuable bio-based products has attracted significant attention in recent years due to its potential to address global challenges such as energy sustainability, waste management, and environmental pollution. The development of new techniques for biomass transformation, including pretreatment processes, enzymatic hydrolysis, and reactor design, plays a pivotal role in unlocking the full potential of renewable resources. This Special Issue highlights the latest advancements in these areas and explores the generation of high-value biofuels and bioproducts from plant biomass and municipal waste.
Biomass, which is mainly derived from agricultural residues, forestry, and municipal solid waste, represents a promising feedstock for biofuels such as bioethanol, biohydrogen, and biogas. Additionally, converting biomass into other valuable products such as bacterial cellulose and organic acids offers opportunities for the sustainable production of materials and chemicals, thus reducing reliance on fossil resources. These advancements are central to pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis, and are crucial for breaking down complex biomass structures and enhancing the release of fermentable sugars for microbial fermentation.
The design and optimization of reactors for efficient biomass conversion processes are equally essential for scaling up these technologies. Innovative approaches to reactor design can enhance the efficiency of fermentation processes, ensuring the production of biofuels and other bioproducts under optimal conditions. Furthermore, integrating novel methods, such as advanced fermentation technologies and engineered microorganisms, can significantly enhance the yield, reduce costs, and make these processes more environmentally sustainable.
This Special Issue welcomes contributions that explore the latest research and breakthroughs regarding the development of efficient pretreatment methods, enzymatic hydrolysis techniques, reactor designs, and the generation of biofuels and other value-added products from biomass. The research presented here emphasizes the potential of these technologies to contribute to a more sustainable future by enabling the use of renewable biomass resources for energy and the production of high-value bioproducts, while also addressing the growing need for waste valorization.
The articles featured in this Special Issue reflect the field's multidisciplinary nature, drawing on expertise in chemical engineering, biotechnology, environmental science, and industrial process optimization. Together, these contributions highlight the growing importance of biomass conversion technologies and their role in creating a circular economy, where waste is minimized, resources are utilized efficiently, and sustainable energy and materials are produced.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:
- Pretreatment process
- Reactor/bioreactor design
- Biorefinery: Conceptual design
- Biofuels: hydrogen, ethanol, butanol, etc.
- Bioproducts: bacterial cellulose, organic acid, among others.
- Circular bioeconomy
- Life cycle analysis
- Sustainability analysis
Prof. Dr. Carlos Eduardo Molina-Guerrero
Dr. Ivan Salmerón Ochoa
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- biomass residues
- circular economy
- green chemistry
- reactor design
- sustainable energy
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