NbOx-Based Catalysts for Biomass Conversion: Progress in the Past 20 Years

The urgent need for energy, coupled with the environmental impacts of persistent fossil fuel consumption, has spurred significant interest in renewable carbon resources. Among these, lignocellulosic biomass stands out as the most abundant source of organic carbon, offering substantial potential for biofuel and value-added chemical production. Niobium oxide (NbOx)-based catalysts have garnered considerable attention due to their distinctive physicochemical properties, including tunable Brønsted and Lewis acidity, strong oxygen affinity enabling C–O bond cleavage, unique affinity for benzene rings facilitating Car–C bond cleavage, and the formation of frustrated Lewis pairs for hydrogen activation. This review comprehensively discusses advances in NbOx-based catalysis for biomass valorization over the past two decades, emphasizing these four key functionalities. Furthermore, we highlight the expanding application of NbOx catalysts in plastic upcycling and identify current challenges alongside future research directions. Through this analysis, this Perspective aims to provide mechanistic insights and design principles to inform the rational development of next-generation NbOx-based catalysts for efficient biomass conversion and chemical synthesis.