Furfural

The following sections are included:

• Preface
• About the Authors
• Contents

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• Furan and furan derivatives
• Furfural
• Summary
• Acknowledgments
• References

The following sections are included:

• Industrial production of furfural — Past and current situation
• Future technologies for furfural production
• Challenges and prospective
• References

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• Gas phase hydrogenation of furfural
• Liquid-phase hydrogenation of furfural
• Biofuels from furfuryl alcohol
• Conclusions and future prospects
• References

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• Production of THFA
• Reaction mechanisms
• Reusability studies
• Conclusions and future prospects
• References

The following sections are included:

• General introduction
• Conversion of furfural derived THFA into 1,5-PeD
• Conversion of furfural derived FFA into PeDs
• Conversion of furfural into PeDs
• Conclusions and future prospects
• References

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• Production processes
• 2-Methyl furan trimer derived biofuels
• Summary and prospective
• References

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• MTHF production from LA
• MTHF production from MF
• Direct conversion of FUR to MTHF
• References

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• The renewable route to cyclopentanone
• Biofuels derived from cyclopentanone
• Summary and future prospects
• References

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• Production of LA and derived chemicals and biofuels
• GVL: Derived chemicals and biofuel
• Main challenges and conclusions
• References

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• Production of FAM and THFAM
• Applications of FAM and THFAM
• References

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• 2-Furoic acid
• Production of 2-furoic acid
• Furfural chemo-oxidation
• Other techniques
• Conclusions and future challenges
• References

The following sections are included:

• Furan
• Tetrahydrofuran (THF)
• Thiophene
• Pyrrole
• Conclusions and future prospects
• List of abbreviations
• References

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• Gas-phase oxidation of furfural with O₂
• Aqueous-phase oxidation with O₂
• Liquid-phase oxidation with hydrogen peroxide
• Oxidation to different furanones
• Summary and future prospects
• List of abbreviations
• References

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• Aldol condensation (Claisen–Schmidt condensation)
• Applications of the condensation products to biofuels
• Other C–C forming reactions
• Conclusions and future prospectives
• References

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• Acetalization of furfural with glycerol
• Summary and future challenges
• References

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• Furan resins from furfural
• Furan resins from 2-furfuryl alcohol
• Final outlook and future perspective
• References

Furfural is considered a key renewable chemical platform in the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass [1]. As it has been described in the previous chapters of the book, furfural is currently being transformed in industry into a number of chemicals. Additionally, other transformations of furfural have been technically explored, like to biofuels, renewable fuel additives (2-methylfuran, methyltetrahydrofuran, furfuryl acetate, etc.), industrially relevant oil-derived chemicals (maleic acid, succinic acid, cyclopentanone, etc.) and finally to other chemicals with interesting properties and potential for application (levulinic acid, γ-valerolactone, 1,5-pentanediol, etc.). Even though its great potential as platform molecule is currently limited in terms of economic, technical, and/or environmental feasibility, their interesting properties attract the attention of industrial and academic researchers, and it is expected that new technologies will allow to expand the furfural market soon. Two particular molecules that can also be key in a future biorefinery are levulinic acid and γ-valerolactone. They can potentially be produced from both hemicellulose (via furfural and/or furfuryl alcohol) and cellulose (acid-catalyzed dehydration), what implies that all the sugars present in lignocellulose can be valorized to these other chemical platforms [2–4].

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• General concepts
• Design of chemical reactors
• Catalytic reactors
• Photoreactors
• Recommended reading

Electrosynthesis is becoming a real possibility for the transformation of biomass-derived chemical products in valuable chemicals. In a similar manner to the previous annex, this chapter is aimed at introducing those readers not familiar with the electrochemical techniques so they can understand those sections of this book describing electrochemical transformations. This annex serves as a brief introduction to some basic electrochemistry concepts useful for the study of electrocatalytic reactions. We encourage the interested reader to consult the references included at the end of the annex for comprehensive details.

The following section is included:

• Index