This study investigated a novel pretreatment method, as an essential step, for production of second generation bioethanol from sugarcane bagasse (SCB). Effect of tween 80 (TW) and polyethylene glycol 4000 (PEG) on SCB pretreatment was assessed using 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl) as an ionic liquid (IL). Different concentrations of TW and PEG were used to determine the optimum concentration of surfactant for the highest percentage of cellulose conversion. TW and PEG increased lignin removal by 12.5% over the IL-only pretreated sample. The 3% (w/w) PEG showed a significant increase in enzymatic digestibility with an efficiency of 96.2% after 12 h of hydrolysis; this was 23% higher than the efficiency of SCB pretreated with IL. The increase in digestibility of surfactant assisted IL pretreatment method can be attributed to the decrease in cellulose crystallinity, changes in the cellulose lattice, and delignification; which was confirmed by FT-IR, XRD and FE-SEM analysis. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.