Production of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural from Glucose Using a Combination of Lewis and Brønsted Acid Catalysts in Water in a Biphasic Reactor with an Alkylphenol Solvent

We report the catalytic conversion of glucose in high yields (62%) to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a versatile platform chemical. The reaction system consists of a Lewis acid metal chloride (e.g., AlCl 3) and a Bronsted acid (HCl) in a biphasic reactor consisting of water and an alkylphenol compound (2-sec-butylphenol) as the organic phase. The conversion of glucose in the presence of Lewis and Bronsted acidity proceeds through a tandem pathway involving isomerization of glucose to fructose, followed by dehydration of fructose to HMF. The organic phase extracts 97% of the HMF produced, while both acid catalysts remain in the aqueous phase

Production of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural from Glucose Using a Combination of Lewis and Brønsted Acid Catalysts in Water in a Biphasic Reactor with an Alkylphenol Solvent

We report the catalytic conversion of glucose in high yields (62%) to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a versatile platform chemical. The reaction system consists of a Lewis acid metal chloride (e.g., AlCl 3) and a Bronsted acid (HCl) in a biphasic reactor consisting of water and an alkylphenol compound (2-sec-butylphenol) as the organic phase. The conversion of glucose in the presence of Lewis and Bronsted acidity proceeds through a tandem pathway involving isomerization of glucose to fructose, followed by dehydration of fructose to HMF. The organic phase extracts 97% of the HMF produced, while both acid catalysts remain in the aqueous phase.Reprinted (adapted) with permission from ACS Catalysis 2 (2012): 930, doi: 10.1021/cs300192z. Copyright 2012 American Chemical Society.</p