In this work, the renewable synthesis of p-xylene (PX) from biomass-derived carbohydrates has been reviewed. PX is a crucial chemical feedstock and an essential starting material of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PX can be produced selectively by the Diels-Alder reaction between ethylene and 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) followed by catalytic dehydration of the oxanorbornene adduct. DMF is primarily produced by the catalytic hydrogenation of 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF), a furanic intermediate produced by the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis/dehydration of biomass-derived hexoses. With ethylene being sourced by dehydrating bioethanol, PET can be made biorenewable in its entirety. The atom economy and carbon efficiency of converting glucose into PX have been calculated. The existing literature (both theoretical and experimental) on the catalytic production of PX from DMF and ethylene are summarized, and future directions on this research have been proposed. The effect of Brønsted and Lewis acidity, porosity, and surface area of the heterogeneous catalysts on the selectivity and yield of PX have been highlighted. In addition, the techno-economic analysis of renewable PET, its future prospects based on the petroleum market, and the possibility of a circular economy of PET using chemical and enzymatic recycling strategies have been discussed.

在这项工作中，p的可再生合成来自生物质的碳水化合物中的二甲苯（PX）已得到审查。PX是至关重要的化学原料，也是聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯（PET）的重要原料。PX可以通过乙烯与2,5-二甲基呋喃（DMF）之间的Diels-Alder反应，然后将氧杂降冰片烯加合物催化脱水来选择性生产。DMF主要是通过5-（羟甲基）糠醛（HMF）的催化加氢生产的，HMF是由酸催化的生物质衍生的己糖的水解/脱水生成的呋喃中间体。通过将乙烯通过生物乙醇脱水获得乙烯，可以使PET整体具有生物可再生性。已经计算出了将葡萄糖转化为PX的原子经济性和碳效率。总结了有关由DMF和乙烯催化生产PX的现有文献（理论和实验），并提出了该研究的未来方向。布朗斯台德和路易斯的酸度，孔隙率和非均相催化剂的表面积对PX的选择性和收率的影响已得到强调。此外，还讨论了可再生PET的技术经济分析，其基于石油市场的未来前景以及使用化学和酶循环策略进行PET循环经济的可能性。