Furfural from corn stover hemicelluloses. A mineral acid-free approach

Furfural was obtained from corn stover hemicelluloses by a microwave-assisted, green and heterogeneously catalyzed two-step cascade process as follows: first step, hydrothermal fractionation of corn stover hemicelluloses, and second step, hydrolysis/dehydration of soluble hemicellulosic sugars over niobium phosphate to yield furfural at moderate temperatures (<200 degrees C), with both steps being performed in water. Furfural yields of up to 23 mol% with respect to the starting raw biomass were reached.