Reaction Pathways for Synthesis of Four Carbon Chemicals from Sugars and Sugar Derived Platform Chemicals

Chemicals with a four-carbon chain (C4 chemicals), like succinic acid, maleic acid, 1,4-butanediol, and tetrahydrofuran are extensively used as commodity chemicals and polymer precursors. Currently, these chemicals are commercially synthesized from petrochemical based feedstocks. There is a growing interest in catalytic pathways for producing these and other C4 chemicals from biomass. However, biomass is mainly composed of hexose and pentose sugars and the natural abundance of a C4 feedstock is low. This review summarizes the current development in catalytic pathways for C4 chemical synthesis from biomass derived sugars and its derivatives and suggests future direction of research. C4 chemicals are vital building blocks in chemical industry and sourcing them from biomass can reduce reliance on petrochemicals. This review explores the steps and mechanisms involved in catalytic synthesis of C4 chemicals from biomass derived sugars and their derivatives. By highlighting the challenges and future directions, valuable insights are provided for advancing the development of sustainable catalytic processes.image