Selective Synthesis of Bioderived Dibenzofurans and Bicycloalkanes from a Cellulose-Based Route

The synthesis of dibenzofurans and bicycloalkanes from biomass is important for sustainable high-value chemicals and high-density fuels. Currently, their biomass-based precursor is mainly derived from lignin with limited yields. Herein, we propose a cellulose-based synthesis route for dibenzofurans with a yield of 72.3% via the integration of oxidative coupling of 1,2,4-benzenetriol to diphenol combined with subsequent dehydration under environmentally friendly reaction conditions. After hydrodeoxygenation, bicycloalkanes are obtained with a yield of 70.5% by catalysis performed over Pd/C and various zeolites. This work provides a powerful cellulose-based strategy for the synthesis of dibenzofurans and bicycloalkanes, which was previously unattainable in the conventional lignin-based route.