Advances in Sustainable Production of Bio‐Derived 5‐Alkoxymethylfurfural and Levulinate Esters: A Comprehensive Review

ABSTRACT

The huge surge in demand for sustainable and green chemical supply is pushing for the significant advancements in biomass valorization in recent decades. Commonly, the catalytic transformation of abundant agroforestry biomass produces a variety of bio‐derived oxygenated molecules, which show great potential as chemical intermediates and biofuel candidates due to the excellent inherent structural features. Both 5‐alkoxymethylfurfural (AMF) and levulinate esters (LEs), primarily coming from the cascade acid‐mediated transformation of typical lignocellulosic constituents in agroforestry biomass, emerge as the important versatile compounds among these highly reactive oxygen‐containing platform chemicals. Given the remarkable technical progress and increasing application requirements, the present article places the emphasis on catalytic synthesis of AMF and LEs from biomass resources, which critically involves the aspects of essential physicochemical characteristics, catalytic systems, reaction mechanisms, product isolation, and techno‐economic analysis. Particularly, the significant advances in state‐of‐the‐art catalytic materials for the selective synthesis of AMF and LEs are highlighted. In addition, the current limitations and some promising strategies toward the sustainable and efficient manufacture of value‐added AMF and LEs are also underlined.