Chemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into platform chemicals for fuels and polymers

As the most abundant biomass on the Earth, lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) has long been recognized as an alternative feedstock for the synthesis of fuels and polymers. The development of platform chemicals from LCB for fuels and polymer applications has gained great attention in the past decades. Thermochemical biorefining holds enormous potential for the sustainable conversion of LCB to a variety of platform chemicals such as xylitol, furfural, glucaric acid, 5-hydroxymethyl furfural, levulinic acid, and 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid. Numerous thermochemical biorefinery studies have been conducted to produce platform chemicals from LCB for enhanced economic viability and product performance. In this chapter, advances in thermochemical conversion of the main components of LCB (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) to platform chemicals were reviewed. First, recent progress in the pretreatment of LCB for the production of platform chemicals was presented. Second, major thermochemical pathways producing xylitol and furfural from hemicellulose were summarized. Third, advances in thermochemical production of cellulose-derived platform chemicals such as glucaric acid, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), levulinic acid, and furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) were reviewed. Finally, progress in lignin-derived platform chemicals was discussed. The applications of the above platform chemicals in fuels and polymers were also reviewed. Prospects of LCB-derived platform chemicals and their application in the fuels and polymer industry were also concluded in this chapter.