Direct transformation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to the building blocks 2,5-dihydroxymethylfurfural (DHMF) and 5-hydroxymethyl furanoic acid (HMFA) via Cannizzaro reaction

An efficient, simple, scalable and atom efficient method for the synthesis of 2,5-dihydroxymethylfuran (DHMF) and 5-hydroxymethylfuranoic acid, as sodium salt (HMFA), in 80% yield from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in water using NaOH (0.9 eq.) via a Cannizzaro reaction is described. Both the building blocks DHMF and HMFA were successfully isolated merely using selective crystallisation.