<p>Nanotechnology has become a revolutionary technique for improving the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass in biofuel production. Conventional pretreatment methods have encountered difficulties in efficiently breaking down the complex structure of lignocellulosic materials, thereby hindering the conversion of biomass into fermentable sugars. This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the role of nanotechnology in the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass. This bibliometric review explores the historical trends, research focus areas, and collaboration patterns in utilizing nanotechnology for the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass within biorefineries. Utilizing the Web of Science database, documents published between 2014 and 2024 were analyzed using VOSviewer and bibliometrix software. The analysis showed that 1397 articles have addressed this topic over the past decade. This extensive review not only highlights the progress made but also outlines future directions for the integration of nanotechnology in biomass pretreatment, paving the way for more efficient and sustainable biofuel production.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>