Effects of hardwood structural and chemical characteristics on enzymatic hydrolysis for biofuel production

► Nine industrially relevant hardwood species were comprehensively studied in terms of enzymatic hydrolysis performance. ► Cell wall composition and lignin structure were correlated to enzymatic hydrolysis performance of kraft-pretreated woods. ► Pretreatment efficiency was controlled by the ratio of syringyl/guaiacyl of the original feedstock. ► Lignin content, enzyme adsorption and ratio of guaiacyl/syringyl of pretreated feedstock control enzymatic hydrolysis.