Abstract: In the new energy strategy based on biomass, polyols are becoming a new generation of green energy platform. Polyols can be obtained from biomass by pyrolysis, catalytic pyrolysis, and intercepted dilute acid hydrolysis. They can be converted to biofuels, chemicals, and hydrogen by processes such as aqueous-phase reforming and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis under mild conditions. In this study, pioneer developments on the utilization of polyols to prepare biofuels and chemicals, light-induced decomposition of polyols to hydrogen, and exploring study on the catalytic hydrogenation and intercepted dilute acid hydrolysis of cellulose to polyols have been reviewed. The simple application of current industrial techniques on cellulose conversion is immediately available, whereas the processes in deed are far from high efficiency, low energy cost, large scale, and green. Therefore, new chemistry on one-step conversion of cellulose is being highly expected. The utilization of new concepts combining techniques in a state of the art shows great potentials in the conversion of polyols, but the approaches still keep a long distance from the simplicity, energy efficiency, cheap, and environmentally benign. Hence novel catalysis to realize “one-pot” and “one-step” conversion is also highly expected in the future.

Key words: polyols, biomass, cellulose, catalytic hydrogenation, sorbitol, cellubiose, ruthenium, nanoparticle, one-step conversion