Valorisation of humins to high value-added products: Integrating biorefinery process towards a more sustainable future

A general overview on formation of humins, unavoidable by-products from biorefinery, and the valorization towards various products is provided. The better understanding on formation mechanism and structure of humins helps the development of relevant strategies for their valorization. Current research demonstrates the remarkable potential and widespread applications of humins including templated catalysts synthesis, fine chemicals, pharmaceutical intermediates, thermoset resins and even optoelectronic materials. The oxygen-rich nature of humins offers special functionalities in the humin-derived materials. Valorization of humins will surely attract more attention, especially in the studies on thorough understanding the humin structure and developing more sustainable chemicals and materials to enrich humin-derived products. All these efforts will contribute to the integration of biorefinery processes towards a more sustainable future.