Abstract

This work reviewed the patents related to biobutanol production from biomass, giving the reader an overview of the topic. The main characteristics and trends about biobutanol production were compiled and discussed. It was pointed out that the future production of biobutanol will be driven by the selection of a new microorganism or the development of an engineered strain which will be able to overproduce butanol. In addition, a microorganism that produces low content of acetone and ethanol and tolerates high butanol concentration in the medium is highly desirable, since it is the main bottleneck in the process nowadays.

Keywords: Biobutanol, technological prospection, fermentation, bioreactor design, process and products, microorganisms, separation.