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• 1,5-Pentanediol-derived biofuels.
• 2-Methyl tetrahydrofuran.
• 2-Methylfuran.
• Furan.
• Cyclopentanone.
• Furfurylidene ketone.
• Furfuryl amine.
• Furoic acid.
• Succinic acid.
Sustainable production and synthesis of fuels and chemicals are very much
important and necessary for the development of modern-day society. A variety of
factors, like increased demand for the fuels and chemicals which is related to the
exponential global rise in population, the gradual slump in the fossil fuel reserves
and growing environmental concerns, are directly responsible for the increased
requirement. The European Parliament in 2008 declared a notion for mandatory
increase of present energy efficiency by 20%, and renewable energy should contribute at least 20% of the total energy that will be expended in the end of year 2020 [2].
The USA and China have already started working on different policies to reach this
goal. Food crops such as sugarcane and wheat, which are being used for development of biofuels, have been criticised due to its influence on the food economy and
environment. Without subsidies they fail to compete with conventional fossil fuels,
and reduction of greenhouse gases is very limited by the use of these biofuels.
Hence the new field of research and development in lignocellulosic biomass (nonedible) has opened up with tremendous possibilities. These second-generation biofuels are sustainable from economical and geopolitical point of view without having
any disadvantages as the previous first-generation fuels. They have emerged as one
of the most feasible and promising platforms aimed at producing ecologically clean
and supportable chemicals and biofuels [3].
Presently, the process of bioethanol production from carbohydrates which are
biomass derivatives is commercially feasible. In addition to this, the production of
bio-based chemicals is also very much feasible from the commercial point. Over
recent years, these chemicals have carved themselves a niche amidst the competition from the conventional crude oil industry derivatives. They have a wide variety
of chemical routes like gasification, fermentation, pyrolysis, etc. for transforming
into chemicals, which is very much broad and wide [4].
In this context, furfural (FUR) has been advocated as one of the topmost valueadded chemicals to be derived from biomass. It is also one of the key platform
chemicals to be produced from bio-refineries. Furfural is produced from agricultural residues produced from food crops and wood. Production of furfural from
petroleum derivatives based on the raw materials like 1,3-dienes via catalytic oxidation is not economically feasible and sustainable. Presently, China is the largest
producer of furfural with almost 70% total production capacity. Other countries like
South Africa and Dominican Republic also contribute to approximately 20, 32 kTon/
year, respectively. These nations together contribute to almost 90% of the total FUR
being produced in the whole world [5].
Furfural and Chemical Routes for Its Transformation into Various Products
• 1,5-Pentanediol-derived biofuels.
• 2-Methyl tetrahydrofuran.
• 2-Methylfuran.
• Furan.
• Cyclopentanone.
• Furfurylidene ketone.
• Furfuryl amine.
• Furoic acid.
• Succinic acid.
Sustainable production and synthesis of fuels and chemicals are very much
important and necessary for the development of modern-day society. A variety of
factors, like increased demand for the fuels and chemicals which is related to the
exponential global rise in population, the gradual slump in the fossil fuel reserves
and growing environmental concerns, are directly responsible for the increased
requirement. The European Parliament in 2008 declared a notion for mandatory
increase of present energy efficiency by 20%, and renewable energy should contribute at least 20% of the total energy that will be expended in the end of year 2020 [2].
The USA and China have already started working on different policies to reach this
goal. Food crops such as sugarcane and wheat, which are being used for development of biofuels, have been criticised due to its influence on the food economy and
environment. Without subsidies they fail to compete with conventional fossil fuels,
and reduction of greenhouse gases is very limited by the use of these biofuels.
Hence the new field of research and development in lignocellulosic biomass (nonedible) has opened up with tremendous possibilities. These second-generation biofuels are sustainable from economical and geopolitical point of view without having
any disadvantages as the previous first-generation fuels. They have emerged as one
of the most feasible and promising platforms aimed at producing ecologically clean
and supportable chemicals and biofuels [3].
Presently, the process of bioethanol production from carbohydrates which are
biomass derivatives is commercially feasible. In addition to this, the production of
bio-based chemicals is also very much feasible from the commercial point. Over
recent years, these chemicals have carved themselves a niche amidst the competition from the conventional crude oil industry derivatives. They have a wide variety
of chemical routes like gasification, fermentation, pyrolysis, etc. for transforming
into chemicals, which is very much broad and wide [4].
In this context, furfural (FUR) has been advocated as one of the topmost valueadded chemicals to be derived from biomass. It is also one of the key platform
chemicals to be produced from bio-refineries. Furfural is produced from agricultural residues produced from food crops and wood. Production of furfural from
petroleum derivatives based on the raw materials like 1,3-dienes via catalytic oxidation is not economically feasible and sustainable. Presently, China is the largest
producer of furfural with almost 70% total production capacity. Other countries like
South Africa and Dominican Republic also contribute to approximately 20, 32 kTon/
year, respectively. These nations together contribute to almost 90% of the total FUR
being produced in the whole world [5].
Furfural and Chemical Routes for Its Transformation into Various Products