A review of thermal catalytic and electrochemical hydrogenation approaches for converting biomass-derived compounds to high-value chemicals and fuels

Major global issues such as greenhouse gas emissions and the excessive use of fossil fuels lead to looking for sustainable and clean energy resources. Lignocellulosic biomass is a prospective resource for sustainable carbon-based energy. The production of petroleum-based green fuels, chemicals, and solvents from biomass-derived products has garnered much attention in the recent past. The study of biomass derivatives hydrogenation improves the efficiency of generating high-value chemicals and provides much-needed insights into the primary reaction mechanism for the effective utilization of raw constituents or biomass. However, the existing thermochemical conversions of biomass and biomass-derived products such as thermal catalytic hydrogenation (TCH) involve energy-intensive and expensive processes. In this regard, sustainable energy generation attracts alternative conversion technologies, including electrochemical conversion (ECC), electrocatalytic hydrogenation (ECH), and photocatalytic conversions that can be directly integrated with renewable wind/solar technologies and operated at ambient or lower temperatures. The role of electrocatalyst and electrolyte is pivotal to achieve efficient and selective ECH of biomass organics. This review paper summarizes the utilization of TCH and ECH processes on cellulose/hemicellulose, lignin, and their derivatives/model compounds, including catalyst types, reaction conditions, hydrogenation efficiency, and technical limitations. The advantages and disadvantages of the two technologies for biomass utilization have also been compared, which provides a more favourable knowledge base and theoretical basis for the subsequent research work.