Valorization of Biomass: Towards the Production of Fine Chemicals and Materials

The high dependency of the actual society on the petroleum resources together with their future depletion, have made the research focus on the substitution of petroleum-based products by bio-based products. A solution for this problematic is to manufacture bio-based products under a circular bioeconomy using residual biomass as feedstock. This would avoid the depletion of natural resources and increase the applicability of an undervalued biomass. The valorization of the main fractions of the lignocellulosic biomass or marine biomass residue would permit the production of fine chemicals, biofuels or materials, increasing the economic value of the residue.

Due to the recalcitrant structure of the biomass, it´s fractionation and valorization to value-added products requires the usage of different chemical, biological and physical processes. Thus, the aim of this Research Topic is to tackle the new advances in the extraction procedure, conversions and applications of the isolated biomass fractions. Moreover, this Research Topic aims to highlight processes and technologies related with the employment of new reaction systems, intensification routes or novel feedstock, together with new applications of the biomass fractions in the field of pharmaceutics, energy, fine chemicals or materials.

This Research Topic will cover promising, recent and novel research trends in the isolation, conversion and application of the main fractions of the biomass. We welcome the submission of Original Research, Review, Mini-Review and Perspective articles on themes that include, but are not limited to:

• Valorization of the unexploited biomass residues
• New and/or intensified processes for biomass fractionation
• Production of new fine chemicals and biofuels by chemical or biological processes
• Innovative application of the added-value products
• Production of biomaterials
• Techno-, Economic- and/or Environmental analysis
• Solid-state fermentation to obtain bioproducts from waste

Keywords: Valorization, biomass, production, fine chemicals, materials, biorefinery

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.