2-methylfuran is a significant organic chemical raw material which can be produced by hydrolysis, dehydration, and selective hydrogenation of biomass hemicellulose. 2-methylfuran can be converted into value-added chemicals and liquid fuels. This article reviews the latest progress in the synthesis of liquid fuel precursors through hydroxyalkylation/alkylation reactions of 2-methylfuran and biomass-derived carbonyl compounds in recent years. 2-methylfuran reacts with olefins through Diels–Alder reactions to produce chemicals, and 2-methylfuran reacts with anhydrides (or carboxylic acids) to produce acylated products. In the future application of 2-methylfuran, developing high value-added chemicals and high-density liquid fuels are two good research directions.
