Use of cyclic amines in the pretreatment of biomass

Abstract

The present invention provides for a method to deconstruct a biomass: the method comprising: (a) introducing a solvent comprising a cyclic amine, or a mixture of cyclic amines, to a biomass to dissolve at least part of solid biomass, or a part of a lignin, cellulose, and/or hemicellulose of the solid biomass, in the solvent; (b) optionally introducing an enzyme and/or a microbe to the solubilized biomass mixture such that the enzyme and/or microbe produces a sugar from the solubilized biomass mixture; (c) optionally separating the sugar from the solubilized biomass mixture; and (d) optionally separating the lignin from the solubilized biomass mixture.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.