Tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol undergoes chemoselective hydrogenolysis catalyzed by Rh/SiO2 modified with ReOx species to yield 1,5-pentanediol. It undergoes lanthanum-mediated Michael-type addition reaction with maleate to form alkoxybutanedioic acid. Tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol was used as a refractive-index matching solvent to ensure hard sphere suspension of silica particles for rheological measurements.