Petrochemical products serve as fundamental raw materials that support modern life and industrial operations. Products such as cosmetic moisturizers, anti-wear additives in lubricants, base resins for plastics, and monomers for synthetic fibers all rely on petroleum-derived processes. This has led to a high degree of human dependence on petroleum-based chemicals. However, petroleum resources are limited, and their extraction and use are associated with high carbon emissions and environmental pollution. These issues have become key bottlenecks hindering sustainable development, driving the scientific research and industrial sectors to accelerate their exploration of alternative pathways using renewable resources.

Biomass, as a highly promising renewable alternative, is well-positioned to address these dilemmas. Its core advantage lies in "carbon circularity": biomass absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, and the CO2 emitted during its subsequent conversion into chemicals can be reabsorbed by plants, forming a closed-loop carbon cycle. Net carbon emissions over its entire life cycle can be reduced by more than 60% compared to petroleum-based pathways. Against this backdrop, the technical route of producing high-value-added platform chemicals from renewable biomass, such as agricultural and forestry wastes and energy crops, has quickly become a focus of attention in academia and industry, as it aligns with carbon neutrality goals and the concept of resource recycling. Among these technologies, biomass directional pyrolysis has emerged as a research frontier in the global biomass conversion field, thanks to its unique advantage of being able to precisely target desired products by adjusting process parameters.

This paper systematically reviews the research progress in the production of the aforementioned high-value-added chemicals via biomass directional pyrolysis. Firstly, starting from the intrinsic properties of raw materials, it details the compositional differences among various types of biomass and summarizes the principles governing how key factors—including pyrolysis methods, pretreatment technologies, reaction parameters, and catalyst types—influence the yield and selectivity of target products, defining the optimal range for each process condition. Secondly, integrating findings from in-situ characterization techniques, it conducts an in-depth analysis of the pyrolysis reaction pathways of different biomass components, clarifying the formation mechanisms and conversion bottlenecks of key intermediates. Finally, addressing current technical challenges—such as low product purity, catalyst deactivation, and high costs in large-scale applications—it looks ahead to future development directions and proposes optimization pathways, including the research and development of bifunctional catalysts, the design of integrated reaction-separation systems, and the synergistic utilization of all biomass components. This work provides theoretical support and practical guidance for promoting the efficient and green conversion of biomass resources, contributing to  the dual goals of petroleum substitution and a green economy.