The Role of Heterogeneous Catalysts in Converting Cellulose to Platform Chemicals

Abstract

In times of rethinking production processes and consumption habits to minimize the effects of global warming, it is crucial to find alternatives that lead to replacing fossil fuels by renewable materials. The development of technologies to produce chemicals and fuels from lignocellulosic biomass meets this environmentally friendly concept, thus decreasing fossil fuel dependency. Lignocellulosic biomass is rich in polysaccharides (cellulose and hemicellulose) which, after depolymerization of its constituents in soluble sugars, can be used as raw material to produce different bioproducts in individual processes or incorporated in biorefineries. To do this, heterogeneous catalysts, mainly acid-catalyzed hydrolysis, have a crucial role in the valorization of this renewable material, offering the potential to help convert cellulose to glucose. Therefore, important aspects are discussed regarding the characterization of the biomass composition; the main pretreatments for separating the cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin fractions; and important advances in using heterogeneous catalysis, highlighting that acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of biomass is fundamental for glucose and platform chemical production.