The sustainability of the global protein production is seriously challenged, why upgrading protein from new or under‐utilized sources such as brewer's spent grain (BSG) is desirable. In this article a new method for high‐yield protein extraction from BSG with deep eutectic solvents (DESs) is reported. Novel carboxylate salt ‐ urea DESs are described and protein extraction from BSG using 6 of these mixtures is compared. The extraction with 90 wt% NaAcO : urea (molar ratio 1:2) was compared to choline chloride : urea (1:2), of which the first was found to be a more suitable protein extractant with up to 79% extraction yields from BSG. Based on microscopy, it is proposed that the high extraction yield from BSG with 90 wt% NaAcO : urea (1:2) was due to dissolution of proteins insoluble by nature or denatured during the brewing process. The production of protein concentrates with a protein content of >50 wt% was demonstrated and the fractions were characterized in detail.

The use of [EMIM]AcO and three DESs was compared in lignocellulose pretreatment with focus on cellulase stability, effects on lignocellulose and enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated lignocellulose in both buffer and in solutions of ionic liquid or DES.

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Green chemistry, sustainability and eco-efficiency are guiding the development of the next generation of industrial chemical processes. The use of non-edible lignocellulosic biomass as a source of chemicals and fuels has recently raised interest due to the need for an alternative to fossil resources. Valorisation mainly focuses on cellulose, which has been used for various industrial scale applications for decades. However, creating an economically more viable value chain would require the exploitation of the other main components, hemicellulose and lignin. Here, we present a new low melting mixture composition based in boric acid and choline chloride, and demonstrate its efficiency in the fractionation of wood-based biomass for the production of non-condensed lignin, suitable for further use in the search for sustainable industrial applications, and for the selective conversion of hemicelluloses into valuable platform chemicals.