The conversion of furfural into cyclopentanone over Ni–Cu bimetallic catalysts was studied under hydrogen atmosphere. Furfuryl alcohol, 4-hydroxy-2-cyclopentenone and 2-cyclopentenone were verified as three key intermediates. Rearrangement of the furan ring was independent of hydrogenation, starting from furfuryl alcohol rather than furfural. The opening and closure of the furan ring were closely related to the attack of a H₂O molecule on the 5-position of furfuryl alcohol. Prior hydrogenation of the aldehyde group accounted for the different reactivity of furfural and furfuryl alcohol. The high selectivity of cyclopentanone was ascribed to the presence of 2-cyclopentenone.

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) was converted to maleic anhydride in 52% yield via selective oxidation with molecular oxygen using VO(acac)₂ as catalyst in liquid phase.

Selective transformation of lignin into value-added aromatics is highly attractive and rather challenging. Catalytic oxidative degradation provides a promising approach to obtain aromatics from lignin while preserving the benzene units. In this study, vanadium-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of 2-phenoxy-1-phenylethanol was studied as a lignin model compound. The solvent played a significant role in the distribution of oxidation products. In the presence of acetic acid, oxidative C–C bond cleavage was preferred, while oxidation products via C–H bond cleavage were rather limited. A one-electron transfer process was involved in the oxidation reaction. The occurrence of vanadium(V) was detected, and the carboxylic group could coordinate to vanadium(V) through exchange with the acetylacetonato ligand during oxidation in the presence of acetic acid.

Furfural was converted to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol with high yield in water on alkaline earth metal modified Ni/Al₂O₃.