Multicatalysis from renewable resources: a direct route to furan-based polyesters

Here we present a multicatalytic route to produce 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan and the corresponding (co)polymers from stable 2,5-furanedicarboxylic acid. This approach combines the use of several commercial catalysts and in particular allows to quantitatively obtain two key furan intermediates, not contaminated by humins.

Automated summary

A multicatalytic route has been developed to produce 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan and corresponding polymers from stable 2,5-furanedicarboxylic acid, efficiently avoiding contamination by humins and providing key furan intermediates.