Abstract: As a clean and renewable carbon resource, cellulose is an alternative for non-renewable resources such as oil and can convert into high value adding molecule platform chemicals. This paper briefly overviews the structure of cellulose and points out the critical steps of cellulose hydrolysis and efficient conversion, and reviewes the process conditions and catalytic mechanism comprehensively for the conversion of cellulose into glucose, sorbitol and ethylene glycol (such as catalyst types, reaction temperature, reaction time, etc.). The research direction of catalysts in each process is prospected, which would be the reference for the catalytic conversion of cellulose into small molecule platform compounds in future.