Acid-catalyzed conversion of xylose, xylan and straw into furfural by microwave-assisted reaction

► Thermochemical conversion of xylose and xylan to furfural by microwave-assisted reaction. ► Investigated effect of temperature, time, substrate concentration, and pH. ► A temperature of 180 °C, a residence time of 20 min, and a pH of 1.12 gave the best furfural yields. ► The microwave-assisted process provides highly efficient conversion.