SYNTHESIS of Technology PATHWAYS for AN Integrated Biorefinery

The exhaustion of natural resources such as coal, oil and natural gas will soon become the major problem for the world. As a result, there is an increased attention to the issues of energy security, environmental protections, and sustainable development. In addition, the increase in global energy demands and the desire to reduce damages to the environment motivate a shift to renewable energy sources. Biofuels are among the promising forms because of the renewable nature of biomass and the sequestration of carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and growth of energy crops. Furthermore, biomass has versatility in providing a wide variety of feedstocks (e.g. traditional agriculture crops, energy crops, forestry products, municipal solid waste, etc.). Biorefineries are processing facilities that convert biomass into value-added products such as biofuels, specialty chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. One of the key challenges in the synthesis of biorefineries is the need to synthesize, track pathways, and separate the numerous compounds included in biomass. Since the number of synthesized pathways may be potentially substantial, it is important to use quick screening techniques to reduce the number of alternatives. In this work, an approach for synthesis of technology pathways leading to desired chemicals for an integrated biorefinery is presented.