Furan derivatives from hemicellulose

Furan derivatives are among the best examples of a source of chemicals and materials based on renewable resources because furfural is readily produced in good yields from the hemicelluloses contained in a wide variety of agricultural and forestry by-products, through a simple and economically viable process. The use of furan monomers to synthesize polymers and copolymers and of some specific features of fiiran chemistry to develop original macromolecular architectures have been major research topics for many years in our laboratory... 

The relevant contribution of the output of annual plants to the realm of polymer synthesis and applications stems, instead, from some specific products, namely starch as a polymer, vegetable oils as triglyceride oligomers and hemicelluloses and monosaccharides as potential monomers or precursors to furan derivatives. 

Lignin Chemical compound derived from wood and plant cell walls. It is a complex biopolymer made of a network of furan and benzol rings with many OH and MeO groups attached Lignocellulose Mixture of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin... 

Liquid phase catalytic processing is a promising biorefinery process that produces functionalized hydrocarbons from biomass-derived intermediates (e.g., intermediate hydroxymethylfurfural or HMF). Renewable furan derivatives can be used as substitute building blocks for fossil fuels, plastics, and fine chemicals, ° or to develop biofuels based on C5 and C6 carbohydrates (sugars, hemicellulose, cellulose). Currently, Avantium Chemicals in the Netherlands is developing chemical catalytic routes to generate furanics for renewable polymers, bulk and specialty chemicals, and biofuels. ... 

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