Furfuryl alcohol—a promising platform chemical

Abstract The main aim of this chapter is to present up-to-date details on furfuryl alcohol—a promising platform chemical. Because of the outstanding importance of furfuryl alcohol, this chapter describes the methodology and the basic concepts in research and development for the production of furfuryl alcohol derived from lignocellulosic biomass (second-generation nonedible biomass) and its most relevant transformations to industrially important products required for the manufacturing of fine chemicals, biofuels, and biobased polymers. Moreover, the applicability of furfuryl alcohol as an excellent feedstock for the production of thermostatic resins, plasticizers, adhesives, polyols, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran is described in this chapter. The significant applications of furfuryl alcohol make it worthwhile to produce it frequently from lignocellulosic biomass, which is readily available in large quantities on Earth and is an alternative to nonrenewable (fossil) resources. At the end of this chapter, future opportunities in this area are examined.