Advances in Heterogeneously Catalytic Degradation of Biomass Saccharides with Ordered-Nanoporous Materials

Biomass, a type of inexpensive and sustainable carbonaceous resource, is considered a promising substitute for fossil fuel-derived products in various fields. Hexose and pentose sugars are the building blocks of cellulose and hemicellulose, which are important platform intermediates involved in numerous biomass conversion processes. Among the various developed heterogeneous catalysts, ordered-nanoporous materials play a crucial role in reaction efficiency and product selectivity for biomass upgrading, wherein their nanoporosity provides a high contact area between the active sites and substrates, while the ordered windows/structures facilitate the diffusion of products. In this review, emphasis is made on the application and mechanism of ordered-nanoporous materials such as zeolites and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) in the catalytic valorization of biomass sugars via different reaction routes, including for example, hydrolysis, dehydration, isomerization, and epimerization. Moreover, the controllable design and regulation of active species in the ordered-nanoporous materials through modification of the material building blocks, such as optimizing preparation methods and adjusting used elemental ratios, are also discussed in depth.