Top Value Added Chemicals From Biomass: I. Results of Screening for Potential Candidates from Sugars and Synthesis Gas

Liquid‐Phase Catalytic Processing of Biomass‐Derived Oxygenated Hydrocarbons to Fuels and Chemicals

“…In this respect, the US DOE has commissioned a study to identify the top 12 value-added chemicals that can be produced from carbohydrates and synthesis gas, and this study has discussed the technical limitations involved in the related biomass conversion processes. [5] The focus of this Review is to present an overview of chemical catalytic transformations of carbohydrate-derived molecules in the liquid phase to value-added chemicals and fuels, with specific examples emphasizing the development of catalytic processes based on an understanding of the fundamental reaction chemistry. More generally, many options exist for the production of biofuels and products using biological processes at low temperature (300-400 K) or thermochemical processes at higher temperatures (typically > 800 K).…”

“…Indeed, HMF and its ensuing 2,5-disubstituted furan derivatives can replace key petroleum-based building blocks. [5] The challenge associated with the production of HMF from fructose and glucose is depicted in Scheme 1. Although various acid catalysts have been studied in the presence of different reaction systems such as water, organic solvents, and biphasic systems, the industrial production of HMF is currently impeded by high costs of manufacturing.…”

“…Scheme 2. Top value-added chemicals from glucose (according to Werpy and Peterson [5] ) Figure 2. Diagram of approximate reaction conditions for the catalytic processing of petroleum versus biomass-derived carbohydrates.…”

“…As seen in Scheme 4, sugars can be dehydrated to form furan compounds such as furfural and HMF that can subsequently be converted into diesel fuel additives (by aldol condensation and aqueousphase dehydration-hydrogenation), [8] industrial solvents (e.g., furan, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, furfuryl alcohol), [17] various bioderived polymers (by conversion of HMF into FDCA), [5] and P-series fuel (by subsequent hydrogenolysis of furfural). [18] Furfural is industrially produced from biomass rich in pentosan (e.g., oat hulls, etc.)…”

Green and selective polycondensation methods toward linear sorbitol‐based polyesters: enzymatic versus organic and metal‐based catalysis

“…1 Sorbitol is one of the top 10 renewable building blocks, being mostly used in the food industry or as platform chemical for the production of isosorbide and glycols at low cost. 2 In fact, isosorbide has proved to be a very effective monomer to enhance the stiffness and accordingly the glass transition temperature of polymers. Recently more focus has been given to sorbitol itself as a readily available monomer for applications such as textiles, packaging and for the synthesis of commodity chemicals and renewable resins.…”