Chemoselective Hydrogenation of Biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural into Furanyl Diols

Lignocellulosic biomass can be converted to significant platform molecule 5- hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), from which one can envision a number of biofuels and chemicals through either chemical or biological conversions. Chemoselective hydrogenation is one of the important pathways for the upgrading of HMF into furanyl diols consisting of 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF) and 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydrofuran (BHMTHF). BHMF and BHMTHF are all-purpose intermediates for the manufacture of chemicals, fuels, and functional materials. In this context, we comprehensively summarized the studies on the chemoselective hydrogenation of HMF into furanyl diols in terms of different H-donors, including molecular H2, alcohols, formic acid, and other alternative H-donors. Through the systematic survey of the previous works, a feasible research direction is discussed for the production of furanyl diols.