This research has employed an acid hydrolysis
pretreatment step using H2SO4 to prevent gelling, a process that
invariably leads to the formation of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural
(HMF) from the dehydration of hexoses [9]. Considerable research
effort has been devoted to investigating ways to inhibit HMF formation
resulting from the pretreatment process to improve ethanol
production [9-11].