Biochar is traditionally used to improve soil properties in arable land and as adsorbent or precursor of activated carbon in wastewater treatment. Recent advances have shown biochar potentials in enhancing productions of biofuels and chemical such as bio-ethanol, butanol, methane, hydrogen, bio-diesel, hydrocarbons and carboxylic acids. The properties of biochar such as high levels of porosity, functional groups, cation exchange capacity, pH buffering capacity, electron conductivity, and macro-/micro- nutrients (Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, S, Fe, etc.) provide appropriate conditions to relieve physicochemical stresses on microorganisms through pH buffering, detoxification, nutrients supply, serving as electron carrier and supportive microbial habitats. This paper critically reviewed biochar production and characteristics, biochar utilization in anaerobic digestion, composting, microbial fermentation, hydrolysate detoxification, catalysis in biomass refinery and biodiesel synthesis. This review provides novel vision of biochar application, which could guide future research towards cleaner and more economic production of renewable fuels and bio-based chemicals.

传统上，生物炭用于改善耕地的土壤特性，并在废水处理中用作活性炭的吸附剂或前体。最近的进展显示了生物炭潜力，可以提高生物燃料和化学品的产量，例如生物乙醇，丁醇，甲烷，氢气，生物柴油，碳氢化合物和羧酸。生物炭的特性，例如高孔隙率，官能团，阳离子交换容量，pH缓冲容量，电子电导率和大量/微量营养素（Na，K，Ca，Mg，P，S，Fe等）通过pH缓冲，排毒，营养供应，提供电子载体和支持性微生物栖息地，为缓解微生物的理化压力提供适当的条件。本文对生物炭的生产和特性进行了严格的审查，生物炭在厌氧消化，堆肥，微生物发酵，水解产物解毒，生物质精炼厂催化和生物柴油合成中的利用。这篇综述提供了生物炭应用的新视野，它可以指导未来的研究朝着更清洁，更经济地生产可再生燃料和生物基化学品的方向发展。