Biomass valorization assisted by protection strategies

Valorization of lignocellulosic biomass is of great significance to reduce carbon emission and the dependence on petroleum-based products. Selective and economic conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to bio-based products is still restricted by the high cost of producing platform chemicals such as sugars, furanics, and lignin-derived monomers, which is mainly caused by degradation and condensation of biomass components. To address the issues, chemical protection strategies that use aldehydes, phenolics, and diols as protection molecules has been developed to stabilize glucose, xylose, and lignins during biomass conversion. The stabilized platform chemicals or materials have shown distinctive applications in the area of preparing chemicals, bioplastics, and adhesives. Compared to traditional biorefining processes, biorefining processes involving the protection strategies demonstrate unique potentials in producing high-value products and can serve as additional options for selective valorization of lignocelluloses to fuels, chemicals, and materials.