Formation of 5-methylfurfural and 2-acetylfuran from lignocellulosic biomass and by Cr-catalyzed dehydration of 6-deoxyhexoses.

During autocatalyzed steam explosion of lignocellulose, polysaccharides in the cell wall are hydrolyzed and dehydrated to form various furaldehydes. In addition to furfural, 5-methylfurfural and 2-acetylfuran were identified in condensates from autocatalyzed steam explosion of Scandinavian softwood (Norway spruce, Picea abies). The presence of 5-methylfurfural can be explained by an acid-catalyzed dehydration of 6-deoxyaldohexoses, which are known to be present in lignocellulosic biomass.

A Workup Protocol Combined with Direct Application of Quantitative Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Aqueous Samples from Large-Scale Steam Explosion of Biomass.

Methods for thermochemical conversion of biomass into renewable energy and materials rapidly increase in range and outreach. A focus on the target product streams for valorization is natural, yet several pretreatment steps and conversion methods also result in an aqueous byproduct, which has been given less attention. This paper aims to fill this knowledge gap in the existing literature on identification and quantification of organic components in such aqueous phases by reporting a fast and direct workup protocol combined with application of quantitative analytical nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.