Biotechnological Production of Butanol

Abstract

The biotechnological production of butanol and other accompanying solvents has a history of more than a century and currently represents an alternative to produce desirable chemicals from various waste streams, in accordance with the concept of the circular economy. This review article summarizes the current state of potential industrial production, introduces the main solvent producers, solventogenic clostridia and their metabolism, together with the main aspects that influence physiological and production characteristics. The last part is devoted to substrates that can be used for biobutanol production, in particular lignocellulose, a ubiquitous waste plant matter, with great potential in connection with the large-scale biotechnological production of many commodities.