Catalytic Upgrading of Bio‐Based 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5‐Dimethylfuran with Non‐Noble Metals

2,5‐Dimethylfuran (DMF) is considered one of the most promising liquid transport fuels due to its high energy density, high boiling point, high octane number, and immiscibility with water. It can be obtained mainly by hydrogenolysis of biomass‐derived 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) over metal catalysts. This review describes the latest research progress of developing various non‐noble metal catalytic materials for hydrogenolysis of HMF to produce DMF. The effects of different carriers (e.g., carbon materials, nitrogen‐doped carbon materials, and metal oxides), the bimetallic synergistic effect, and catalyst type on the catalyst activity are systematically introduced. The reaction paths of producing DMF from HMF affected by reaction parameters such as non‐noble metals, hydrogen donors, and temperature are discussed. In addition, potential directions for the large‐scale industrial production and application of DMF are proposed.