Furfural (FF) and
5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) are well-recognized
biomass-derived chemical building blocks with established applications
and markets for several of their derivatives. Attaining a wide spectrum
of petrochemicals is the primary target of a biorefinery that employs
FF and HMF as the chemical feedstock. In this regard, cyclopentanone
(CPN) is a crucial petrochemical intermediate used for synthesizing
a diverse range of compounds with immense commercial prospects. The
hydrogenative ring rearrangement of FF to CPN in an aqueous medium
under catalytic hydrogenation conditions was first reported in 2012,
whereas the first report on the catalytic conversion of HMF to 3-(hydroxymethyl)cyclopentanone
(HCPN) was published in 2014. Over the past decade, several investigations
have been undertaken in converting FF and HMF to CPN and HCPN, respectively.
The research studies aimed to improve the scalability, selectivity,
environmental footprint, and cost competitiveness of the process.
A blend of theoretical and experimental studies has helped to develop
efficient, inexpensive, and recyclable heterogeneous catalysts that
work under mild reaction conditions while providing excellent yields
of CPN and HCPN. The time is ripe to consolidate the data in this
area of research and analyze them rigorously in a review article.
This work will assist both beginners and experts of this field in
acknowledging the accomplishments to date, recognize the challenges,
and strategize the way forward.