AFEX pretreatment results in the decrystallization of cellulose, partial depolymerization
of hemicellulose, removal of acetyl groups predominantly on hemicellulose, cleavage of lignin-carbohydrate complex (LCC) linkages, lignin C-O-C bond cleavage, increase in accessible surface area due to structural disruption, and increased wettability of the
treated biomass [73,74].