LAUSR

Technologies for the processing of lignocellulosic biomass into fuels and chemicals are generally focused on selective chemical transformation of the three different types of constituents: cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. In this regard, heterogeneous catalytic reactions are employed to defunctionalize and upgrade the platform molecules obtained selectively from these constituents. Herein, a selection of studies are discussed which are adapted to deoxygenate and valorize the biomass-derived platform molecules with a specific focus on understanding the reaction mechanisms and rational design of a heterogeneous catalyst. The selection of the deoxygenation process constituted a combination of two or three reactions. For example, ring-opening reactions of the cyclic compounds are studied with decarboxylation, dehydration, hydrogenation and/or Diels–Alder reaction carried out on metal, acid and/or oxide catalysts. The platform molecules studied here include an array of saturated lactones, 2-pyrones, cyclic...