Bio-based aromatics for chemicals and materials: Advances in renewable drop-in and functional alternatives

Abstract

Benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX), as well as their downstream products, are a fundamental part of numerous processes in the chemical industry. However, by now, aromatics are still yielded from fossil resources like naphtha, coal, and natural gas. Thus, to push the chemical industry further toward renewability, the production of bio-based aromatics is an essential step to take. The implementation of bio-based aromatics to replace petrochemical aromatics can proceed in two main ways: as direct replacement via renewable drop-in or as replacement by renewable functional alternatives. However, the implementation of both pathways still requires significant process optimization toward large-scale application in industrial processes. In this work, renewable drop-in is mainly discussed in the context of pyrolysis and Diels–Alder reactions. Furthermore, renewable functional alternatives discussed here focus on furan derivatives and lignin-based building blocks.