705
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
K. K. Pant et al. (eds.), Catalysis for Clean Energy and Environmental
Sustainability, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65017-9_21
Furfural and Chemical Routes for Its
Transformation into Various Products
Nayan J. Mazumdar, Rupam Kataki, and K. K. Pant
Abstract Vegetable biomass is basically made up of C 6 and C 5 sugars which constitutes of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin along with other energy storage products like lipids and starches. The global interest and need to reduce the dependency
on crude oil for energy have motivated and directed the researchers and scientists to
explore the field of biomass as a source of energy especially for transportation fuels
for vehicles. Gradual development of technology has shifted the interest to derive
the conventional petroleum-based chemicals from biomass components with functional groups. Henceforth catalytic reactions, various chemical routes via heterogeneous catalysis, homogeneous processes, enzyme reactions for transformation and
conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to various bio-based value-added chemicals
have been extensively and widely explored, with special interests on developing
environmentally friendly processes involving mineral acids, bases, etc.
Chemical transformation of sugars, which are made up of monosaccharide and
disaccharides (glucose, fructose, xylose), is the most important and explored reaction pathway due to its availability in biomass primary compounds. Three important
nonpetroleum-based chemicals, i.e. furfural (FUR), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural
(5-HMF) and levulinic acid (LA), are derived via thermal dehydration of pentose
and hexose sugars. FUR is one of the important chemicals derived from biomass
and also one of the key derivatives for producing significant nonpetroleum-derived
chemicals. The annual production of FUR is about 300,000tTonne/year. FUR is
commercially produced by hydrolysis of pentosan polymers in biomass to pentose
sugars (xylose) which undergo acid catalysis under high temperatures and successive dehydration. Furfuryl alcohol (FAL) is one such important product produced
from catalytic hydrogenation of FUR. Cannizzaro reaction of FUR further produces
furoic acid (FuA) which is an important feedstock for organic synthesis and an
intermediate compound in the production of medicines and perfumes. Further,
N. J. Mazumdar (*)
Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
Department of Energy, Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam, India
R. Kataki
Department of Energy, Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam, India
K. K. Pant
Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
K. K. Pant et al. (eds.), Catalysis for Clean Energy and Environmental
Sustainability, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65017-9_21
Furfural and Chemical Routes for Its
Transformation into Various Products
Nayan J. Mazumdar, Rupam Kataki, and K. K. Pant
Abstract Vegetable biomass is basically made up of C 6 and C 5 sugars which constitutes of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin along with other energy storage products like lipids and starches. The global interest and need to reduce the dependency
on crude oil for energy have motivated and directed the researchers and scientists to
explore the field of biomass as a source of energy especially for transportation fuels
for vehicles. Gradual development of technology has shifted the interest to derive
the conventional petroleum-based chemicals from biomass components with functional groups. Henceforth catalytic reactions, various chemical routes via heterogeneous catalysis, homogeneous processes, enzyme reactions for transformation and
conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to various bio-based value-added chemicals
have been extensively and widely explored, with special interests on developing
environmentally friendly processes involving mineral acids, bases, etc.
Chemical transformation of sugars, which are made up of monosaccharide and
disaccharides (glucose, fructose, xylose), is the most important and explored reaction pathway due to its availability in biomass primary compounds. Three important
nonpetroleum-based chemicals, i.e. furfural (FUR), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural
(5-HMF) and levulinic acid (LA), are derived via thermal dehydration of pentose
and hexose sugars. FUR is one of the important chemicals derived from biomass
and also one of the key derivatives for producing significant nonpetroleum-derived
chemicals. The annual production of FUR is about 300,000tTonne/year. FUR is
commercially produced by hydrolysis of pentosan polymers in biomass to pentose
sugars (xylose) which undergo acid catalysis under high temperatures and successive dehydration. Furfuryl alcohol (FAL) is one such important product produced
from catalytic hydrogenation of FUR. Cannizzaro reaction of FUR further produces
furoic acid (FuA) which is an important feedstock for organic synthesis and an
intermediate compound in the production of medicines and perfumes. Further,
N. J. Mazumdar (*)
Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
Department of Energy, Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam, India
R. Kataki
Department of Energy, Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam, India
K. K. Pant
Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India