Valorization of corn stover in a single experimental unit: The synergistic effects of steam explosion and semi-continuous subcritical water processing.

Lignocellulosic waste, like corn stover (CS), is widely produced and serves as a key feedstock for biofuels and biochemicals. Semi-continuous subcritical water hydrolysis (SWH) is an eco-friendly method that breaks down cellulose and hemicellulose bonds. To boost fermentable sugar (FS) yields, steam explosion (SE) pretreatment was tested on CS, achieving a cellulose content of 74.