Abstract
Valorizing lignocellulosic biomass into platform chemicals presents a promising route for sustainable chemical production. In this study, we demonstrate the use of a continuous-flow microreactor for synthesizing furfural from biomass-derived waste feedstocks—specifically, pretreated corncob and rice husk—through formic acid-assisted hemicellulose extraction, benchmarked against commercial xylose. The extracted hemicellulose, enriched in xylose (10.22 % for rice husk and 24.12 % for corncob), was dehydrated in a continuous-flow reactor using NaCl as a promoter and ZnCl₂ as a Lewis acid in an isopropyl alcohol (IPA):H₂O solvent system. Through comprehensive optimization of reaction parameters—temperature, flow rate, catalyst loading, and solvent ratio—a maximum furfural yield of 74.58% was achieved at 170 °C with a residence time of just 10 minutes. This continuous-flow approach enables precise control of reaction conditions (validated by SEM and UHPLC), enhances heat and mass transfer, and delivers faster results compared to conventional batch systems.