5-Hydroxymethylfufural (HMF) is an intriguing platform molecule that can be obtained from biomasses and that can lead to the production of a wide range of products, intermediates, or monomers. The presence of different moieties in HMF (hydroxy, aldehyde, furan ring) allows to carry out different transformations such as selective oxidations and hydrogenations, reductive aminations, etherifications, decarbonylations, and acetalizations. This is a great chance in a biorefinery perspective but requires the development of active and highly selective catalysts. In this view, homogeneous catalysis can lead to efficient conversion of HMF at mild reaction conditions. This Review discussed the recent achievements in homogeneous catalysts development and application to HMF transformations. The effects of metal nature, ligands, solvents, and reaction conditions were reported and critically reviewed. Current issues and future chances have been presented to drive future studies toward more efficient and scalable processes.
Keywords: 5-hydroxymethylfurfural; biomass valorization; homogeneous catalysis; ligands; sustainable chemistry.
© 2022 The Authors. ChemSusChem published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.