Application of heterogeneous catalysts in the preparation of bio-based platform compound 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

Abstract In recent years, there has been growing attention towards developing renewable energy and materials derived from abundant biomass resources. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is recognized as a promising bio-based platform compound for synthesizing value-added chemicals and materials due to its versatile reactivity. HMF can be directly synthesized from carbohydrates and various raw biomass through the acid-hydrolysis reaction. Heterogeneous catalysts have gained prominence in biomass conversion owing to their environmental friendliness, facile separation from reaction mixtures, high catalytic efficiency, and reduced corrosivity toward equipment. This review systematically examines the reaction pathways and mechanisms involved in HMF synthesis from fructose, glucose, cellulose, and raw biomass using heterogeneous catalysts. Then we give an introduction to the preparation of furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) from HMF with different catalytic methods. FDCA is an important degradable bio-material monomer for polyethylene furanoate to replace petroleum-based polyethylene terephthalate. This review ends with a prospect on the challenges and opportunities of HMF synthesis in the near future. Graphical abstract