Abstract
The constant depletion of fossil fuels along with the increasing need for novel materials, necessitate the development of alternative routes for polymer synthesis. Lignocellulosic biomass, the most abundant carbon source on the planet, can serve as a renewable starting material for the design of environmentally-friendly processes for the synthesis of polyesters, polyamides and other polymers with significant value. The present review provides an overview of the main processes that have been reported throughout the literature for the production of bio-based monomers from lignocellulose, focusing on physicochemical procedures and biocatalysis. An extensive description of all different stages for the production of furans is presented, starting from physicochemical pretreatment of biomass and biocatalytic decomposition to monomeric sugars, coupled with isomerization by enzymes prior to chemical dehydration by acid Lewis catalysts. A summary of all biotransformations of furans carried out by enzymes is also described, focusing on galactose, glyoxal and aryl-alcohol oxidases, monooxygenases and transaminases for the production of oxidized derivatives and amines. The increased interest in these products in polymer chemistry can lead to a redirection of biomass valorization from second generation biofuels to chemical synthesis, by creating novel pathways to produce bio-based polymers.
Highlights
The increasing interest in renewable, bio-based polymers has resulted in the quest for new synthesis routes for the production of polymer building blocks
Within the frame of a furan-based valorization process of lignocellulose, lignin remains as a side stream that can be utilized for numerous potential applications [43]
Lignocellulosic biomass has been in the center of attention throughout the years as a feedstock for the production of second-generation biofuels
Summary
The increasing interest in renewable, bio-based polymers has resulted in the quest for new synthesis routes for the production of polymer building blocks. Biomassderived monosaccharides can serve as starting materials in chemical or enzymatic conversion processes towards the synthesis of advanced chemicals and compounds with different applications, such as in polymer industry, in drug synthesis or as nutraceuticals [11] Among these chemicals, the most interesting section of chemical synthesis includes the platform chemicals, which can in turn lead to bio-based monomers and plastics. The most interesting section of chemical synthesis includes the platform chemicals, which can in turn lead to bio-based monomers and plastics This part has recently received increased attention as an alternative to traditional petrochemically synthesized polymers, aiming to produce furans, an otherwise undesired product for microbial fermentation, as a building block for further use [12]. Overview of the process illustrating furans be produced from lignocellulosic biomass
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