Lignocellulosic biomass, the most abundant and non-edible renewable source, is expected to be a promising alternative to
fossil resources for the production of fine chemicals and biofuels. Typically, the utilization of biomass and its derivatives involves
the selective cleavage or coupling of C-C and C-X (X = O, N) bonds, where toxic and environmentally unfriendly reagents
should be avoided to meet the principles of green engineering and green chemistry.
This thematic issue intends to highlight current progress on the development of green catalytic systems and processes for
selective synthesis of bioproducts, emphasizing the preparation of sustainable, functional materials and the use of correlated
eco-friendly auxiliaries to boost the reaction rate and selectivity in the production process. Attention is also paid to the relevant
reaction pathways and mechanisms. Five eminent research groups in the field of sustainable and green upgrading of biomass
have kindly accepted our invitation to contribute to this special issue by providing an overview on the recent advances in selected
topics briefly listed as follows:
Dr. Chang et al., in “A Review of Catalytic Upgrading of Biodiesel Waste Glycerol to Valuable Products” introduce the
catalytic transformation of glycerol into various value-added chemicals such as propylene glycol, propanol, glyceraldehyde,
dihydroxyacetone, hydrocarbons, and ethers via relevant conversion reactions including hydrogenation, oxidation, pyrolysis,
gasification and etherification [1].
Dr. Zhang et al., in “Recent Progress on Heteropolyacids for Green Fuels Synthesis,” comprehensively summarize the studies
on esterification/transesterification for the synthesis of biodiesel using various types of heteropolyacids (HPAs)-based catalysts
including pristine HPAs, substituted HPAs, supported HPAs and encapsulated HPAs, and also discuss drawbacks and future
challenges on HPAs-based catalytic systems for producing biodiesel [2].
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Dr. Liu et al., in “Sustainable Conversion of Biomass-derived Carbohydrates into Lactic Acid using Heterogeneous Catalysts”,
overview the state-of-the-art production of LA from triose, hexose, cellulose, and other biomass feedstocks catalyzed by
heterogeneous acids and bases [3].
Dr. Sarvanamurugan et al., in “Rice Straw: A Major Renewable Lignocellulosic Biomass for Value-added Carbonaceous
Materials”, describe the most recent advancement in the preparation method for carbonaceous materials derived from rice straw
as well as their applications in various fields, with an emphasis on the influential reaction factors to improve the characteristic
properties of the activated carbons [4].
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Dr. Yang et al., in “Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation of Biomass-derived Levulinates to γ-Valerolactone using Alcohols as Hdonors”,
discuss representative examples on the catalytic production of γ-valerolactone (GVL) through the hydrogen transfer process
with alcohols as hydrogen sources as well as various applications of GVL and its major feedstock ethyl levulinate (EL) [5].
As Guest Editors, we would like to appreciate all the authors for their valuable contributions and all the referees for their
excellent work in reviewing the submitted manuscripts.
We are also grateful to the Editor-in-Chief Prof. György Keglevich and the Editorial Manager, Ms. Humaira Bilal, for their
kind support in preparing this thematic issue.