Furan platform chemicals beyond fuels and plastics

Herein, we offer some perspective on the metamorphosis that has already begun to take place in substantial parts of the chemical industry, i.e., a switch from traditional resources such as crude oil to biomass. This change requires the workhorse of chemical reactants and petroleum refineries to be replaced with biorefineries. The present perspective offers a brief look at the manufacture and uses of furan platform chemicals (FPCs) directly available from biomass (furfural and 5-hydroxy-methylfurfural). Next, we discuss the difficulties encountered when a secondary FPC, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, moves from the lab to large-scale manufacture. The main purpose of the present article is to show the spectacular range of compounds that can be economically synthesized from biomass via FPCs. The fate of selected FPCs and their potential are shown herein as an example only, where many more simple or complex chemicals can be obtained. We believe that there are excellent applications of bio-based materials besides the broadly promoted manufacture of fuels and monomers. This perspective looks at the types of reactions applicable to FPCs and a variety of methods for the synthesis of chiral furans.

Automated summary

The article discusses the transformation happening in the chemical industry, shifting from traditional resources to biomass, and the production and application of furan platform chemicals from biomass. It also highlights the challenges in scaling up production from lab to industrial scale, showcasing the potential of economically synthesizing compounds from biomass, as well as the wide applications of bio-based materials.