Upgrading of Carbohydrates to the Biofuel Candidate 5-Ethoxymethylfurfural (EMF)‎

Abstract EN

5-Ethoxymethylfurfural (EMF), one of the significant platform molecular derivatives, is regarded as a promising biofuel and additive for diesel, owing to its high energy density (8.7 kWh·L−1).

Several catalytic materials have been developed for the synthesis of EMF derived from different feedstocks under relatively mild reaction conditions.

Although a great quantity of research has been conducted over the past decades, the unsatisfactory production selectivity mostly limited to the range 50%–70%, and the classic fructose used as the substrate restricted its application for fuel manufacture in large scale.

To address these production improvements, this review pays attention to evaluate the activity of various catalysts (e.g., mineral salts, zeolites, heteropolyacid-based hybrids, sulfonic acid-functionalized materials, and ionic liquids), providing potential research directions for the design of novel catalysts for the achievement of further improved EMF yields.