Chemometric Approach to Quantify 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural and Furfural Obtained from Sugarcane Bagasse and Peanut Hull by UV Cristian A. Godoy 1 & Letícia M. Simião 1 & Aline T. Toci 1 & Gilcélia A. Cordeiro 1 & Bianca do Amaral 2 & Patricio Peralta-Zamora 2 & Patrícia Valderrama 3 & Marcela Boroski 1 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020 Abstract 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is considered a platform chemical used for producing industrial purpose carbon-based com- pounds. During HMF synthesis, the compound furfural (FF) is formed as a byproduct. Using spectrophotometric UV is not feasible because HMF and FF overlap around 280 nm, demanding separation techniques as high-performance liquid chroma- tography (HPLC). This work aimed at applying a synthetic route for HMF production by using wastes such as sugarcane bagasse and peanut hull, and developing a quantification method of HMF and FF compounds using UV spectra and pseudo-univariate calibration based on multivariate curve resolution with alternating least squares. HMF synthesis was studied using inorganic acids in a closed reflux system followed by a biphasic extraction with n-butanol as an organic solvent. When comparing their respective biomass, sugarcane bagasse provides a higher amount of HMF, reaching levels of 1.65 × 10 -2 mol L -1 after the synthesis with HCl at 0.50 mol L -1 . Regarding yield, each ton of peanut hull produces 572.6 g of HMF, while each ton of sugarcane bagasse produces 10 kg of HMF. The calibration study using pseudo-univariate calibration models was validated by using the HPLC with relative errors lower than 15%, showing that it is possible quantify HMF and FF in the medium by using UV spectrophotometer. Keywords Biomass conversion . Mitigation . Biofuels . Second-generation biofuels Introduction The increasing demand for the use of fuels and the reduction of non-renewable energy resources motivate the search for energy sources obtained in a sustainable way, one that is not harmful to the environment. Such choice supports the modern trend of a more decentralized power supply system and the search for alternative sources of energy in order to improve the current power and heat efficiencies [1]. Lignocellulosic biomass has been considered a promising feedstock because of a large spectrum of marketable products such as biofuels, power, and chemicals made from it [2, 3], linked to its renewable nature, carbon-neutrality, availability, biodegradability, and low cost. In addition, when wastes from the agricultural industry are employed, the use of biomass lacks the commitment to produce food. These are some of the indicators that point to the feasibility of including biomass to form the country’ s energy matrix expressively. Residues from some cultivars that occupy huge areas are particularly interesting as feedstock for fuels produced from biomass. In countries such as Brazil and Paraguay [2, 4–6], the sugarcane bagasse is produced in million metric tons. The sugarcane bagasse is sent to boilers in order to produce energy (steam and electricity) to meet the process demands [7, 8]. The composition of lignocellulosic material in sugarcane ranges 40–45% for cellulose, 30–35% for hemicellulose, and 20– 30% for lignin [7, 9]. The content of cellulose and hemicellu- lose is relevant to hydrolysis and to turn the soluble monosac- charide glucose into value carbon-based products [3]. A study * Marcela Boroski marcela.boroski@unila.edu.br; marcelaboroski@yahoo.com.br 1 Federal University of Latin American Integration (UNILA), 6731 Tancredo Neves Av., Foz do Iguaçu, PR 85867-970, Brazil 2 Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), 1540 Rua dos Funcionários, Curitiba, PR 80035-050, Brazil 3 Federal Technological University of Parana (UTFPR), Via Rosalina Maria dos Santos, 1233, Campo Mourão 87301-899, Brazil BioEnergy Research https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-020-10113-y