Recent Advances in Photocatalytic Oxidation of 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural

Abstract Conversion of biomass‐derived platform compounds into value‐added chemicals will reduced the current dependence on carbon resources from fossil reserves. In recent years, catalytic oxidation of 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) has received extensive attention due to the widespread application of 2,5‐diformylfuran (DFF) and 2,5‐furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). A photocatalyst system is a cost‐effective way of O 2 utilization as a green chemical oxidant for HMF oxidation. Moreover, replacement of the kinetically sluggish water oxidation with HMF oxidation can promote hydrogen production during photo water splitting. This review provides a concise and up‐to‐date overview of photocatalyst systems for HMF oxidation, giving special attention to catalyst material design, product selectivity, mechanistic insight, and catalyst stability. The chemistry discussed in this review is an attempt to provide inspiration for researchers to develop efficient photocatalyst systems for solar biorefinery.