TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The acid catalyst is acidified zeolites, acidified silica, surface grafted silicas, functionalized mesoporous silicas, poly acids, acid functionalized polymers, poly sulfonic acids, poly acetic acids, poly phosphonic acids, polystyrene sulfonic acids, tetraorthosilicates, 3-(mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane, Lewis acids, microporous silicoaluminophosphate, metal oxides, zirconium dioxide, aluminum oxide, titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide, vanadium oxide, sulfate salts, ammonium sulfate, metal halides, magnesium chloride, lanthanum chloride, iron(III) chloride, metal carbonates, cesium carbonate, ionic liquids, tungsten oxides, tungstate, phosphoric acid, phosphonic acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and/or nitric acid.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The method further comprises isolating the product, transforming the furfural to a furfural-derived product, producing glucose, separating the glucose from the xylose prior to chemically converting the xylose, and fermenting the glucose. The converting step comprises chemically converting the xylose to the product or the intermediate, reacting the xylose using reactions including cyclization reactions, polymerization reactions, condensation reactions, reduction reactions, oxidation reactions, esterification reactions, alkylation reactions or decarbonylation, applying greater than atmospheric pressure to the xylose, and further comprises reacting the xylose or the intermediate over an acid catalyst, and heating the xylose. The transforming step comprises a chemical reaction including a reduction reaction, a decarbonylation reaction, a de-aromatization reaction and/or polymerization reaction. The xylose is derived from the treated material by a process comprising hydrolysis of the treated material. The hydrolysis step comprises contacting the treated biomass material with at least one of enzyme (preferred), an acid, a base, heat, microwave energy, sonic energy, mechanical energy, shearing or milling. Preferred Components: The enzyme is an enzyme complex including xylanase. The biomass comprises hemicellulose further comprising xylan, glucuronoxylan, arabinoxylan, glucomannan and/or xyloglucan. The irradiation is provided by an electron beam, where the radiation dosage is 10-200 Mrad. The electron beam has a power of 0.5-10 MeV. The biomass is paper, paper products, paper waste, wood, particle board, sawdust, agricultural waste, sewage, silage, grasses, wheat straw, rice hulls, bagasse, cotton, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo, sisal, abaca, straw, corn cobs, corn stover, alfalfa, hay, coconut hair and/or seaweed, algae.