A Review on Fermentative Production of Biobutanol From Biomass

Fossil fuels are the primary source of energy production. However, owing to their negative effects and ever increasing demand of energy, biofuels, especially, biobutanol is gaining increased interest. At present, the biofuel market is dominated by biodiesel, bioethanol, biobutanol, and biogas, much relying on the substrates such as- sugars, starch, oil crops, agricultural and animal residue, and lignocellulosic biomass. Butanol (C4H9OH) has superior fuel properties over traditional fuel ethanol in terms of energy density and hygroscopicity. There are some bottlenecks that need to be overcome in the production of butanol in order to get a sustainable alternative for fossil fuels. Lignocellulosic biomass due to its low cost and yearlong availability, is a suitable raw material for butanol production. In this mini review, feedstock, microorganism, process modifications, and past and present trends in biobutanol production have been discussed. In this review, an attempt has been made to develop a better understanding about acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation process.