Furfural Research Articles

Highly selective catalytic transfer hydrogenation of biomass derived furfural to furfural alcohol over Zr/SBA-15 catalysts

The effective utilization of furfural (FU) from biomass for the production of furfuryl alcohol (FOL) is becoming increasingly important due to the versatility of FOL production of valuable chemicals. This study reports a highly efficient approach for in-situ hydrothermal methods to prepare SBA-15 (SB) and x% Zr/SBA-15 (ZSB) composite catalysts with different weight percentages (x = 1, 3, and 5 wt.%). The prepared bare and most active catalysts were analyzed by XRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM, EDS, and TEM. Characterization studies showed that Zr species were present and uniformly distributed in the SB framework. All the prepared materials were used for liquid phase catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) of FU with isopropanol (2-PrOH) at atmospheric N2 pressure (1 atm) under mild reaction conditions. The 3ZSB catalyst showed excellent conversion of FU (100 %) and remarkably high selectivity for FOL (97 %). To achieve the highest possible conversion of FU with high selectivity to the desired products, the experimental parameters such as reaction temperature, hydrogen donor, time, molar ratio, and catalyst weight were optimized. The reusability of the most active 3ZSB composite catalysts was also tested for up to six sequences. Moreover, no significant change in catalytic performance was observed. In this study, a green, efficient, and sustainable process for the catalytic synthesis of FOL using biomass-derived FU is presented. This process is of great importance in promoting the sustainable use of biomass resources.

Hydrodeoxygenation of Furfural over Unsupported, SiO2‐supported or Metal‐promoted Mo Carbides: Tunning the Selectivity between 2‐Methylfuran and C10 Furoins Diesel Precursors

AbstractThe hydrodeoxygenation of furfural (FF) over Mo carbides in liquid phase at 200 °C, 30 bar of H2 for 4 h in 2‐butanol was investigated. Unsupported and SiO2‐supported Mo carbide with different crystallographic phases (β‐Mo2C/SiO2 and α‐MoC/SiO2), and in the presence of Cu and Ni as promoters were studied. The reactivation treatment under H2 atmosphere of the passivated Mo carbides was investigated by XAS. The results show that Mo is present in different states of oxidation in the passivated catalysts, with more severe oxidation in the bimetallic systems, in which the original carbides are not restored after reactivation. Finally, the product distribution in the HDO of furfural is modified as a function of catalyst oxidation degree. Using the less oxidized Mo carbide (β‐Mo2C), a higher yield to 2‐methylfuran is obtained, while C10 condensation products are formed for the more oxidized catalysts.

Tailored Nickel‐Tungsten Interface on ZSM‐5as a Bi‐functional Catalyst for the Single‐Pot Conversion of Furfural to Renewable Alkyl Levulinates

AbstractA single–pot conversion of furfural (FAL) to alkyl levulinates (AL) without using molecular hydrogen has been studied over ZSM‐5‐based Ni−W bimetallic catalysts. The metal‐metal and metal‐support interactions in the bi‐metallic catalyst are tailored by adopting appropriate synthesis protocol to conceive the superior catalytic performance. Insights on the structural properties and structure‐properties relationship of catalyst is described using the data obtained through various characterization techniques like FTIR, XRD, NH3‐TPD, H2‐TPR, TEM, UV‐Vis, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The catalyst synthesis method is observed to influence catalyst properties and catalytic activity strongly. The present study indicates the formation of Ni−W bimetallic interface enhances the catalytic performance towards AL formation. However, the probability of interface formation is mainly governed by synthesis protocol. The study highlights the importance of selecting a suitable synthesis route to achieve desirable catalyst properties for obtaining enhanced catalytic performance. The Ni/W@ZSM‐5 catalyst developed in the present study exhibited excellent catalytic performance towards the production of various ALs from FAL using primary and secondary alcohols as source of hydrogen as well as reactant.

Promoting effect of oxygen vacancies in Co/CoAl2O4 catalyst steered with a straightforward method on hydrogenation of furfural to 2-methylfuran

The exploitation of base metal catalysts to upgrade biomass chemicals remains a daunting challenge and a sustainable strategy. Here, a series of Co-Al spinel catalysts are rapidly prepared by low-temperature solution combustion synthesis for hydrogenation of furfural (FF) to 2-methylfuran (2-MF), in which oxygen vacancies are easily manipulated by regulating the proportion of glycine in the ingredients. The screened Co/CoAl2O4 incorporating adequate oxygen vacancies yields 2-MF over 97 % at 150 ℃ for 5 h, rivalling the state-of-the-art catalysts to date. Characterizations and DFT calculations attribute the success to oxygen vacancies, which not only enhance the adsorption of FF by changing the adsorption geometry, but also facilitate the hydrogen spillover from Co to substrate by moving down the d-band center of CoAl2O4. This study provides a versatile methodology for the efficient and low-temperature preparation of spinel and the construction of defect engineering on catalysts, enlightening the design of phenomenal catalysts.

Multi-metal catalysts for selective furfural hydrogenation: Toward biomass valorisation

The research presented here focuses on the design of non-noble transition metal-based bimetallic catalysts, prepared via a green sol-gel process (the urea-glass route), which leads to well-defined (in composition and size) and crystalline nanoparticles, with high surface area. The potential of these tailor-made catalysts for biomass-related model reactions is also presented. In particular, carbon supported Ni, Ni3Fe, Ni0.5Fe0.5, Ni0.5Fe0.5/Fe3C and Ni0.35Fe0.65/NiFe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized and tested as-prepared, with no need for post-synthesis purification, activation, or co-catalysts addition. Results showed that these catalysts are active in the liquid-phase hydrogenation of furfural (FUR), with almost full conversion with Ni° catalyst, at 170 °C after 22 h, under 4 MPa hydrogen pressure, obtaining the highest yield towards tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFA) of 85%. More interesting, the incorporation of Fe, to form NiFe alloys, modifies the hydrogenating capacity of the catalyst, provoking a change in the selectivity pattern, from tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFA), obtained as the only product with Ni° nanoparticles, to furfuryl alcohol (FFA). Thus, high FFA and THFA yields can be obtained by modifying the nature of the metallic phase of samples synthesized with the urea-glass route, demonstrating the potential of this methodology for the preparation of active and selective catalysts for liquid-phase FUR hydrogenation.

A dynamic structure evolution and reaction pathway over Ni2P for enhancement toward furfural oxidation

The electrocatalytic conversion of furfural (FF) holds a great promise for value-added furoic acid (FA) generation. However, the dynamic evolution of the catalyst surface during the reaction has seriously hindered our comprehensive understanding of the catalytic process and mechanism. In this paper, we discovered active phase over Ni2P strongly depends on the applied potential. Specifically, Ni2P serves as active phase at 1.30–1.40 VRHE and FOR occurs in a direct way. While the in-situ formed single oxide layer of Ni2P-Ni(OH)2 heterostructure from surface reconstruction dramatically enhances FOR in an indirect way at 1.40–1.60 VRHE, resulting in 85 % FA selectivity and 87 % faradaic efficiency (FE) after deducting FF Cannizzaro reaction. After exceeding 1.60 VRHE, OER will have strong competition with the Ni(OH)2 formation. The proposed dynamic heterostructure model of Ni2P-Ni(OH)2 derived from Ni2P has been validated for its universality to other X-ides (NiS and NiSe2) for FOR and other nucleophilic reagents.

Designed CoSe2@ZnIn2S4 large area 2D/2D Schottky junction for efficient photo-utilization hydrogen evolution and biomass oxidation

The development of low-cost and high-performance photocatalysts is of great significance in achieving clean energy and carbon neutrality. In this paper, a unique 2D/2D CoSe2@ZnIn2S4 (CoSe2@ZIS) Schottky junction photocatalyst was successfully synthesized by a feasible hydrothermal method. Such a unique face-to-face structure can provide a large number of electron transfer channels with short charge transfer distances and abundant active sites. The formation of a Schottky junction in the interface further realizes the spatial separation of electrons and holes, effectively avoiding the recombination of the charge carriers at defect sites. As a result, the hydrogen evolution rate of the optimal CoSe2@ZIS sample reaches 46.6 mmol•h−1•g−1 using TEOA as a sacrifice agent, which is more than 6 times that of the ZIS. When the biomass-derived compound furfuryl alcohol (FFA) was added into this system, the photocatalytic H2 production performance could be further promoted, simultaneously obtaining value-added furfural (FF) products. This work shows that the ZnIn2S4-based Schottky heterojunction is a promising bifunctional photocatalytic for water splitting and biomass conversion applications.

State-of-the-art for the development of Cu-based heterogeneous catalysts for efficient utilization of furfural to value chemicals via liquid-phase and gas-phase reactions

ABSTRACT In the present review, we aim to provide important insights into copper-based heterogeneous catalytic systems and discuss the conversion of furfural (FF) through hydrogenation. Each discussed catalyst and the support used for the catalytic reactions play a vital role in the reaction mechanism along with different factors enhancing the catalytic activity. Also, the importance of Cu-based materials along with support, the importance of solvent in the liquid-phase reaction, and the importance of pre-reduction of catalysts are explained in detail. In addition, the superior activity of the catalyst and a few reports from the last decade for Cu-based catalytic systems have been summarized along with the tabulation of different synthesis procedures, mechanistic study, and detailed descriptions with tables and figures. Finally, the conclusions with future aspects for the development of the catalytic hydrogenation process via Cu-based catalytic systems are overviewed.

Reaction microkinetic model of xylose dehydration to furfural over beta zeolite catalyst

AbstractIn recent decades, there has been a growing interest in bio-refineries as a crucial element in transitioning to a low-carbon economy. One specific aspect of this interest is the conversion of carbohydrates into separate platform chemicals, such as furfural (FUR), which play a significant functional role in various daily life processes. This research paper focuses on investigating the use of a H-beta catalyst with SiO2/Al2O3 = 28 for producing furfural from xylose in water. Various conditions, such as temperature and initial solution concentration, are studied to determine their effect on FUR yield. The highest FUR yield (40 mol.%) is obtained when FUR is the only product species. We also report that about 90% yield from reaction with fresh catalyst can be achieved after catalyst regeneration. The activation energies for the reaction on the catalyst surface are found to be in the range of 38–75 kJ/mol. A mathematical kinetic model with three irreversible steps is derived to estimate the reaction sequence at 160, 180, and 200 °C. The model takes into account mechanisms such as adsorption, desorption, and transport (internal or external). Our results suggest that the H-beta catalyst shows high activity toward FUR yield and could be a promising alternative for mass-scale production of the latter.

H2SO4 assisted hydrothermal conversion of biomass with solid acid catalysis to produce aviation fuel precursors

With hydrothermal reaction, lignocellulosic biomass can be efficiently converted into furfural (FF) and levulinic acid (LA), both of which are key platform compounds that can be used for the subsequent preparation of aviation fuels. In order to reduce the acid concentration in traditional hydrolysis and provide a reaction system with good catalytic activity, we propose a biomass conversion route as dilute acid hydrolysis coupled with solid acid catalysis. Firstly, at different temperatures, the hemicellulose and cellulose in corn stover were step-hydrolyzed by sulfuric acid solution with a concentration of 0.9 wt.% to produce xylose and glucose, with conversion reaching 100% and 97.3%, respectively. Subsequently, a new resin-derived carbon-based solid acid catalyst was used to catalyze the aforementioned saccharide solutions to obtain FF with yield of 68.7 mol% and LA of 70.3 mol%, respectively. This work provides a promising approach for the efficient production of bio-aviation fuel precursors.

Enhanced production of anteiso-branched chain fatty acids rich bacterial oil using Lentibacillus salarius strain BPIITR under furan aldehydes induced oxidative stress

Monomethyl branched-chain fatty acids (mBCFAs) are highly valuable compounds in the oleochemical industry, with diverse industrial applications including pharmaceuticals, biofuels and lubricants. In the current study, the medium components of L. salarius BPIITR were statistically optimized to produce mBCFAs-rich lipid, yielding up to 227.16 ± 16.2 mg/g dcw. The supplementation of 2-methyl butyric acid increased the lipid content to 276.42 ± 7.46 mg/g dcw, with anteiso fatty acids up to 87.59 ± 1.56 % w/w of the total lipid. The addition of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (5-HmF) and furfural induced oxidative stress, resulting in the synthesis of lipids rich in anteiso-mBCFAs. Furfural supplementation led to a lipid accumulation of 256.49 ± 7.91 mg/g dcw, whereas with 5-HmF, it increased to 284.75 ± 8.98 mg/g dcw. Furthermore, the elongation of mBCFAs from C15:0 to C17:0 was significantly affected during oxidative stress. This study suggests that under oxidative stress conditions, the synthesis of anteiso fatty acids is favored over iso-fatty acids in L. salarius BPIITR. Additionally, value-added products such as trehalose and furan carboxylic acids were identified as potential co-products in this study, with trehalose reaching up to 255.84 ± 8.04, 163.65 ± 20.94, and 217.46 mg/g dcw in the presence of 2-methylbutyric acid, furfural, and 5-HmF, respectively. The concentration of 2-furan carboxylic acid and 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acids in the fermentation broth reached up to 4.37 ± 0.28 g/L and 2.48 ± 0.35 g/L, respectively. The utilization of short-chain fatty acids and furan aldehydes not only provided a cost-effective carbon source but also modulated the metabolic flux towards specific mBCFAs rich bacterial oil production.

Catalytic transfer hydrogenation of furfural via metal-organic framework-derived high entropy alloy catalysts at room pressure

Catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH), as an environmentally friendly selective hydrogenation method, has attracted great interest in the preparation of high value-added products from biomass-derived resources. Herein, the carbon-based high-entropy alloy (HEA) catalysts (PtCoNiCuZn@NC-X) were prepared via MOF derivatization, which exhibited good catalytic behavior for the CTH of furfural (FF) with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) as the hydrogen donor. The conversion of FF and selectivity of furfuryl alcohol (FOL) reached 100% at 100 °C without additional pressure via PtCoNiCuZn@NC-600 catalyst. Systematic characterization suggests that the abundance of strong acidic sites, high content of high-valent metals and appropriate alloy surface composition play a crucial role in determining the catalytic behavior. This work confirms the multi-sites synergistic catalysis of HEA, establishing structure-property correlations and revealing reaction pathways that can be extended to other CTH reactions in biomass upgrading processes.

Enhanced tolerance of Clostridium tyrobutyricum to furan derivatives for efficient butyric acid production by overexpressing native transporter genes

Furan aldehydes generated during the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass are toxic to Clostridium tyrobutyricum, severely inhibiting its butyric acid production. This study confirmed that overexpression of the ABC-transporter gene CtAT2 in C. tyrobutyricum significantly increased furfural tolerance (> 3.0 g/L) and butyrate production (13.8 %). Conversely, overexpression of the MFS-transporter gene CtMT1 enhanced tolerance to HMF (> 4.0 g/L). However, co-expression of CtAT2 and CtMT1 in C. tyrobutyricum failed to improve the strain’s tolerance to furfural and HMF. Using undetoxified corncob acid hydrolysate as the carbon source, the recombinant strain ATCC 25755/AT2 exhibited excellent performance in butyric acid fermentation due to its heightened furfural tolerance and improved butyrate production. ATCC 25755/AT2 demonstrated impressive butyrate production and productivity in fed-batch fermentation, reaching 29.8 g/L and 0.23 g/L·h, respectively. These values represented a 22.6 % increase in butyrate production and a 27.8 % increase in productivity compared to the wild-type strain.

An Overview on Production of Lignocellulose-Derived Platform Chemicals Such as 5-Hydroxymethyl Furfural, Furfural, Protocatechuic Acid

Furan derivatives such as 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) and furfural (FA) and aromatic acids such as protocatechuic acid (PCA) represent the most essential classes of intermediates derived from lignocellulosic biomass. These bio-based compounds are potential feedstocks for producing bio-based chemicals and fuels. However, the derivatives of these bio-based compounds are useful in their antioxidative, antibacterial, and anti-aging activities. Protocatechuic acid (PCA, 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid), derived from lignin biomass, is also one of the essential bio-derived aromatic intermediates with an active acid and hydroxyl group, which can elevate it into an important class of potential platform chemicals for the production of value-added chemicals, such as HMF and furfuryl alcohol (FAL). The platform compounds are indeed the most used furan-based feedstocks since their chemical structure allows the preparation of various high-value-added chemicals. The related catalytic techniques are well known for the upgradation of biomass into these platform chemicals and their conversion into value-added chemicals. In this short review, we aim to briefly discuss biomass conversion into FA, HMF, and PCA and related heterogeneous catalytic processes. In addition, a few potential ongoing research trends are also proposed to provide some ideas for the further preparation of bio-based innovative derivatives in a much more green, simple, efficient, and economical way.

Selective and Robust Ru Catalyst for the Aqueous Phase Aerobic Oxidation of Furfural to 2-Furoic Acid.

Synthesis of 2-furoic acid (FURA) via oxidation of furfural (FAL) is vital in evolving the biorefinery concept as FURA has numerous important applications in the pharmaceuticals and optic areas. Though few works on this reaction are done, those are marred with shortcomings such as the nonrecyclability of catalyst, dilute solutions, lower yields, or use of H2O2 as an oxidizing agent. Herein, we report catalytic aqueous phase oxidation of FAL to FURA using molecular oxygen as an oxidizing agent. For the synthesis of FURA, various catalysts with a combination of metal (Pt, Pd, Ru) and supports (carbon, Al2O3) were prepared and characterized by multiple techniques (X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)). Oxidation of FAL carried out over 5 wt % Ru/C catalyst in the presence of Na2CO3 yielded 83% of FURA at 120 °C and 15 bar oxygen pressure. The catalyst could show potential for reusability as similar activity was achieved after subjecting the spent catalyst to mild reduction treatment (150 °C). Studies on the effects of temperature, pressure, and time could help accomplish enhanced yields of FURA. Additionally, learning about the effect of base (weak/strong/solid) revealed that due to the weak basicity of Na2CO3, higher yields could be achieved by maintaining approximately a pH of 11, which is optimal for suppressing side reactions. Under the given conditions, FURA is stable (>90%) and also adsorption studies divulge that it is immediately removed from the catalyst surface, and hence higher yields could be achieved in our catalytic system. Using the initial rates methodology, an activation energy of 21.91 kJ mol-1 was derived and also a high turn over frequency (TOF) (85.9 h-1) was observed under optimized conditions.

Colorants and Antioxidants Deriving from Methylglyoxal and Heterocyclic Maillard Reaction Intermediates.

The Maillard reaction is well known for producing antioxidant compounds alongside colored substances. Low-molecular-weight antioxidant intermediates such as maltol (MAL) or norfuraneol (NF) are well described, but it is still unclear which of these Maillard intermediates are the precursors of antioxidant and colored melanoidins-the so-called late stage Maillard reaction products. This study aimed to provide novel insights into the correlation between browning potential and antioxidant properties of reaction products formed during the heat treatment of prominent Maillard reaction intermediates. It was achieved by the incubation of binary reaction systems composed of methylglyoxal (MGO) or NF in combination with furfural (FF), MAL, and pyrrole-2-carbaldehyde (PA) at pH 5 and 130 °C for up to 120 min. Overall, it could be shown that the formation of colored products in the binary NF reaction systems was more efficient compared to those of MGO. This was reflected in an increased browning intensity of up to 400% and a lower conversion rate of NF compared to MGO. The colorants formed by NF and FF or PA (~0.34 kDa and 10-100 kDa) were also found to exhibit higher molecular weights compared to the analogue products formed in the MGO incubations (<0.34 kDa and 10-100 kDa). The incorporation of NF into these heterogenous products with FF and PA resulted in the preservation of the initial antioxidant properties of NF (p < 0.05), whereas no antioxidant products were formed after the incubation of MGO.

Trimetallic NiZr/CoOx catalyst for the selective hydrogenation of furfural into furfuryl alcohol

Catalytic transfer hydrogenation has attracted great interest as a safe and green method to achieve biomass-based hydrogenation. In this study, a NiZr1/CoOx-400 catalyst was fabricated by in-situ structure topological transformation of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) precursors, which exhibited excellent performance in the in-situ hydrogenation of furfural (FF) using isopropanol as the hydrogen donor, with a maximum FF conversion of 83.5% in only 2 h. According to XRD, XPS and H2-TPR analyses, there was a strong interaction between different metal species in NiZr/CoOx, which increased the surface charge heterogeneity and promoted the phase transition of metal oxides, thereby favoring the generation of oxygen vacancies. Among them, LDHs structure of NiZr1/CoOx-400 catalyst was conducive to expose oxygen vacancies, which could facilitate its interaction with FF. And the Co in the catalyst similarly promoted the adsorption of FF through the coordination of the catalyst surface with the –CHO group in FF, thus contributing to its conversion. The electron-rich Zr repelled the furan ring and prevented the excessive hydrogenation, which improved its selectivity. In addition, the FF hydrogenation followed the quasi-primary kinetics with a low apparent activation energy of 18.4 kJ/mol, which was comparable to that of noble metal catalysts.

CuCoMgAlOx Mixed Oxides as Selective Catalysts for the Hydrogenation of Furan Compounds

Single phase CuCoMgAl-layered hydroxides were obtained by making fine adjustment to their composition through changing the (Co + Cu)/Mg = 0.5; 1; 2; 3 and Co/Cu = 0.5; 1; 2 ratios. The rise of Co/Cu in systems contributed to the increase in their thermal stability. CuCoMgAl-catalysts showed high selectivity of carbonyl group hydrogenation in furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. In furfural hydrogenation, the selectivity to furfuryl alcohol was more than 99%, and in 5-hydroxymethylfurfural hydrogenation, the selectivity to 2,5-hydroxymethyl furfural was 95%. The surface of the samples with different Co/Cu after calcination and reduction was the same and had a «core-shell» structure (TEM). «Core» consisted of Cu and Co metallic particles. «Shell» consisted of CuCoMgAlOx mixed no-stoichiometric spinel oxides. There was no sintering or change in size of the metallic particles after the reaction. For the sample with Co/Cu = 1, their phase composition after reaction remained unchangeable. The increase of Co/Cu led to the formation of an X-ray amorphous phase after the reaction. This suggests the decrease in structural stability of this sample. The obtained results prove the prospects of using bimetallic CoCu-systems for hydrogenation of furan aldehydes, and opens up new directions for further research and improvement.

Integrated strategies for furfural production and lignocellulose fractionation in aqueous deep eutectic solvents

The current biomass refinery pretreatment using deep eutectic solvents (DES) has primarily focused on downstream utilization of cellulose and lignin, while often overlooking the potential of hemicellulose. Herein, an innovative and integrated strategy was proposed for simultaneous production of furfural (FF) and fractionation of lignin and cellulose from biomass using the same aqueous DES. To achieve this goal, response surface methodology (RSM) was employ to optimize the dilute hydrochloric acid (HA) pretreatment of corn stover, a representative of lignocellulosic material, ensuring complete removal of hemicellulose. The resulting hemicellulose hydrolysate was then efficiently converted into FF in aqueous DES system, achieving an impressive yield of 72.82 %. By introducing MgCl2 as a catalyst, the FF yield soared to an exceptional 86.94 %. Furthermore, a plausible mechanism was elucidated for the conversion of hemicellulose to FF in the aqueous DES. Concurrently, the solid residue resulting from the dilute HA pretreatment was fractionated using the same aqueous DES, successfully extracting cellulose and lignin fractions. Notably, the separated cellulose solid residue exhibited an outstanding digestion efficiency of 96.3 % after 72 h of enzymatic hydrolysis at 30 FPU/g, as confirmed through meticulous FTIR analyses. In addition, an advanced 2D-HSQC NMR technique was utilized to unveil the intricate structure of the obtained lignin, revealing a guaiacol-syringyl-p-hydroxyphenyl (G-S-H) type lignin enriched with abundant CH3O- and β-O-4 linkages. A mass balance analysis showed the production of 14.0 g FF, 31.9 g glucose and 14.2 g lignin from 100 g dry corn stover. This state-of-the-art approach presented not only pioneers a novel avenue for the concurrent production of FF but also offers a sustainable and eco-friendly method for the fractionation of lignin and cellulose using DES solvents.

Increasing furfural production from xylose and directly obtaining it from corn residues using Preyssler heteropolyacid

AbstractLignocellulosic biomass is considered a sustainable source for the production of biofuels and platform molecules such as furfural (FAL). In this study, a series of solids with different acidity were tested for the production of FAL from xylose and corn residues. Functionalized Cloisite Na+ (CLOI-SO3H) and Preyssler heteropolyacid (HPA-Preyssler) showed the best catalytic performance in the production of FAL form xylose. Under optimal reaction conditions, the HPA-Preyssler catalyst achieved a maximum yield of 75% in just 15 min and maintained its activity for 5 consecutive reaction cycles, while the CLOI-SO3H catalyst obtained a 97% yield in 15 min, but its activity decreased considerably during reuse. Using techniques such as FTIR, SEM, EDS, and TGA, the possible causes of the decrease in the activity of the catalysts were established. The cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contents of different corn residues were determined to determine the most appropriate for the production of FAL. Using the HPA-Preyssler, the temperature and amount of catalyst selected for the dehydration of xylose to FAL, the appropriate time, amount of substrate, and type of solvent were established to obtain FAL directly from yellow corn stalks, reaching a maximum yield of 14% concerning hemicellulose content in 3 h at 180 °C in DMSO without performing any pretreatment to the corn residues, and the catalyst was recovered for subsequent reactions. Therefore, using the HPA-Preyssler catalyst is a new alternative for efficiently converting xylose or residual lignocellulosic biomass into FAL.