Catalytic Conversion of 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural to High‐Value Derivatives by Selective Activation of C−O, C=O, and C=C Bonds

With increasing concern for reducing CO2 emission and alleviating fossil resource dependence, catalytic transformation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a vital platform compound derived from C6 sugars, holds great promise for producing value-added chemicals. Among several well-established catalytic systems, hydrogenation and oxidation processes have been efficiently adopted for upgrading HMF. This Review covers recent advances in the development of thermocatalytic conversion of HMF into value-added chemicals. The advances of metal-catalyzed hydrogenation, hydrogenolysis, ring-opening, decarbonylation, and oxidation involving selective activation of C-O, C=O, and C=C groups are described. The roles played by nature of metals, supports, additives, synergy of metal-acid sites, and metal-support interaction are also discussed at the molecular level. Finally, an outlook is provided to highlight major challenges associated with this huge research area.