“Green” Chemicals from Renewable Agricultural Biomass - A Mini Review

Recently, utilization of renewable resources to replace petroleum as a primary feedstock for liquid fuels, chemicals and materials has become a topic of interest around the world. It is intriguing due to rising oil prices, the negative effects of petroleum on the environment and the advantages of renewable resources, such as their abundance and sustainability. Herein, the possibilities for biobased chemicals prepared from renewable resources are reviewed. The most popular feedstocks for commodity and specialty chemicals are carbohydrates as they account for approximately 95% of the biomass produced annually. The conversion routes, including chemical and biological routes, direct extraction, and selected technical advancements are discussed. Examples of select biochemcials, their conversion pathways from biomass, and their derivatives and potential applications are indentified.