• • The review emphasizes catalytic conversion of carbohydrates using Brønsted and Lewis acids, targeting platform chemicals like 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), lactic acid, and furfural, with yields often exceeding 70% under optimized conditions, enabling cost-competitive bio-based production.
• • Hydrolysis, isomerization, and dehydration are core reactions; for instance, glucose-to-fructose isomerization achieves equilibrium conversion of ~50% at 100°C with Lewis acid catalysts, a critical step for HMF synthesis.
• • Subsequent derivatization of platform compounds yields bio-fuels and battery materials; for example, HMF derivatives like 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) have energy densities comparable to gasoline (33 MJ/L), making them viable fuel additives.
• • The review identifies challenges in catalyst stability and selectivity, particularly in aqueous-phase reforming (APR) of polyols, where Pt-based catalysts show deactivation due to sintering, but bimetallic Pt-Re systems maintain >80% hydrogen selectivity over 100 hours on stream.