Dilute-sulfuric acid pretreatment of cattails for cellulose conversion

► Dilute-sulfuric acid pretreatment of cattails was studied using an accelerated solvent extractor. ► The highest total glucose yield for the pretreatment/hydrolysis stages was 97.1% of the cellulose. ► The pretreated biomass required a lower enzyme loading of 15 FPU/g glucan. ► High sugar yields and low enzyme requirement make the process more economical. ► The results indicate that cattails are a promising source of feedstock for biofuel production.