Thermal catalytic conversion of biomass-derived glucose to fine chemicals

The energy crisis is a major challenge for the 21st Century due to fossil fuel depletion. Biomass, the waste material from plants or animals containing renewable and abundant carbon resources, is considered as an ideal alternative for fossil fuels. Glucose, as building units of cellulose, are the most widely used monosaccharides that have wide applications ranging from pharmaceuticals and food industries. The conversion of biomass-derived glucose has become a major and multidisciplinary field of research. Various catalytic transformation processes have been used in the thermochemical conversion of glucose. Numerous nanocatalysts have been developed to selectively convert biomass-derived glucose into fine chemicals. This review mainly summary the recent achievements of developing catalytic systems for glucose conversion into high-value chemicals. The catalyst structure-activity relationships and underlying reaction mechanisms are also discussed.