One-pot transformation of polysaccharides via multi-catalytic processes

Abstract

Much attention has been focused on the efficient transformations of renewable lignocellulosic biomass, particularly polysaccharides, to valuable chemicals and biofuels in the past decade. One strategy to produce chemicals from biomass in a more sustainable way is to integrate various types of catalytic process in a single pot. In contrast to multiple catalytic processes with separate reaction steps, the one-pot integration of sequential catalytic processes can maximize efficiency, minimize waste and increase profitability in the multistep transformation of biomass. The present article aims to review recent research progress towards the reasonable integration of sequential catalytic processes, to achieve the end goal of comprehensive utilization of biomass in both the chemical industry and academia. The systems described in this article mainly involve those using polysaccharides as the substrates and the coupling of different chemical/biological reactions in a single pot.