Conversion of organosolv pretreated hardwood biomass into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) by combining enzymatic hydrolysis and isomerization with homogeneous catalysis.

Background: Over the last few years, valorization of lignocellulosic biomass has been expanded beyond the production of second-generation biofuels to the synthesis of numerous platform chemicals to be used instead of their fossil-based counterparts. One such well-researched example is 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), which is preferably produced by the dehydration of fructose. Fructose is obtained by the isomerization of glucose, which in turn is derived by the hydrolysis of cellulose.