The efficient utilization of renewable lignocellulosic biomass has attracted much attention in recent years. One of the most desirable routes for the transformation of cellulose, the main component of lignocellulosic biomass, is to convert cellulose under mild conditions selectively into a value-added chemical or into a platform compound, which can be easily converted to versatile chemicals or fuels in the subsequent step. The activation of cellulose, typically starting by the cleavage of its glycosidic bonds, under mild conditions and the selective formation of a particular molecule are critical challenges. Bifunctional catalysts coupling the acid sites for the activation of the glycosidic bonds via hydrolysis and the metal nanoparticles for the hydrogenation or oxidation of glucose intermediate have shown promising performances for the conversion of cellulose or cellobiose into hexitols or gluconic acid in water under mild conditions. This short review has summarized some recent studies on the development of such bifunctional catalysts or catalytic systems. The following two kinds of bifunctional catalysts or catalytic systems have mainly been discussed: (1) a liquid acid in combination with a supported metal catalyst, (2) solid acid-supported metal nanoparticles. Emphases have been laid on the conversions of cellulose or cellobiose into sorbitol and gluconic acid catalyzed respectively by ruthenium and gold nanoparticles loaded on carbon nanotubes bearing acid sites. ; National Natural Science Foundation of China [21173172, 21103143, 21033006]; Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of High Education [20090121110007]; National Basic Research Program of China [2010CB732303]; Key Scientific Project of Fujian Province [2009HZ0002-1]; Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University [IRT1036]