Catalytic Conversion of Carbohydrates: Opportunities and Challenges en Route to Fuels and Chemicals
Carbohydrates, derived from abundant biomass resources, hold great promise for conversion into fine platform chemicals and fuels, which is crucial for sustainable development. The processes for carbohydrate conversion are predominantly driven by catalysis, with active components such as Brønsted acids and Lewis acids. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the catalytic conversion of various carbohydrates (monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides) into high-value-added compounds. It elaborates on the specific pathways and mechanisms involved in reactions like hydrolysis, isomerization, and dehydration for target molecules such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, lactic acid, and furfural. Furthermore, the subsequent derivatization of these platform compounds and their application prospects in energy-related fields, including bio-fuels and batteries, are discussed. Finally, the current challenges in research are summarized, and future directions for the development of low-cost and high-performance catalytic systems are outlined.