Boffis - 30-7-2015 at 05:11
The dehydration and cyclotization of pentose sugars from corn and oat residues etc yields furfural (furan-2-carboxaldehyde). Do sugar alcohols react
similarly? For instance does xylitol dehydrate to the equivalent furfurol or erythritol to 2-furanol (2-furanone) etc?
It appears that these comp[ounds are prepared industrially from furfural by various processes which seems to suggest that the direct dehydration to
"ol" is not favorable.
PHILOU Zrealone - 31-7-2015 at 06:47
Cyclopentaring Methylol-furane (furfurol) is formed from xylitol but also possible cyclohexaring.
There are patents for converting biomass (wood) into biofuels...that explains this in details.
Theorically erythritol may lead to furan.
The dehydration of glycerol into accrolein and allylic alcohol are very interesting reactions but it becomes a nightmarre to extrapolate to
erythritol, xylitol and mannitol/sorbitol 
.