A “Sweet” Biorefinery: Sugar-derived ionic liquids for the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass

• Sugar-derived ILs efficiently pretreat lignocellulosic biomass. • [Ch][GlcA] enables one-pot sorghum pretreatment without pH adjustment and/or water washing. • [Bet][GlcA] achieves highest glucose (82 %) and xylose (61.5 %) yields. • Hydrolysates from both ILs are fully compatible with microbial fermentation. • ILs offer a simplified, biocompatible route for integrated biorefineries. Sugar-based ionic liquids (ILs) derived from biomass-based cations (choline, betaine) and sugar-derived anions were developed as sustainable pretreatment solvents to advance the concept of self-reliant biorefinery. Cholinium gluconate ([Ch][GlcA]) enabled streamlined one-pot sorghum pretreatment without the need for pH adjustment or washing, while betainium gluconate ([Bet][GlcA]) achieved higher sugar yields, improving overall process efficiency and economics. Both ILs produced hydrolysates fully compatible with microbial fermentation, demonstrating their potential for efficient, simplified biomass conversion. This work positions sugar-based ILs as powerful platforms that unite sustainable chemistry with integrated bioprocessing, marking a pivotal step toward realizing the self-reliant biorefinery.