Protection strategies for the conversion of biobased furanics to chemical building blocks

In recent years, the urgency to replace fossil-based resources by renewable biomass for obtaining chemical building blocks has only increased. Carbohydrate-derived furanic compounds are regarded as promising platforms for a renewable value chain. The high reactivity of such biobased intermediates requires the development of novel catalytic chemistry to enhance product yield. The protection of reactive functional groups provides a way to improve the product selectivity. Such protection strategies are common practice in the synthesis of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals but are not fully explored for the conversion of furanic compounds. In this perspective, several examples of protection strategies focusing on the selective passivation of 5-HMF are discussed. Formation and removal of these protection groups are highlighted as well as the application of the neutralized 5-HMF in further processing. A guide for selecting the appropriate protection strategy depending on the targeted chemistry and operating conditions is provided.