Sustainable production of formic acid and acetic acid from biomass

The escalating global demand for chemicals and energy, coupled with the rising carbon emissions resulting from the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels, has had detrimental effects on the environment. In light of these challenges, the utilization of biomass has emerged as a viable solution that offers both environmental and economic benefits. Biomass-derived formic acid and acetic acid are two prominent chemicals with diverse applications in the chemical and energy industries, and numerous environmentally benign and efficient conversion technologies have been developed for their production. However, comprehensive reviews that encompass the existing technologies, recent advancements, and the exploration of novel biomass resources are scant. Therefore, this paper provides a comprehensive review of the various technologies developed for the conversion of biomass into formic acid and acetic acid. The review covers not only traditional hydrothermal wet oxidation and catalytic oxidation methods, but also highlights the recent progress in emerging electro- and photocatalytic methods. Furthermore, different types of biomass, including carbohydrate biomass and lignocellulosic biomass from agroforestry, as well as chitin-based and microalgae biomass from the ocean, which hold promising potential for biomass utilization, are classified and discussed. This paper underscores the significant development potential of producing formic acid and acetic acid through the conversion of recyclable biomass.