Sn doping on partially dealuminated Beta zeolite by solid state ion exchange for 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) production from glucose

BACKGROUND: The conversion of glucose into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) involves the isomerization of glucose to fructose catalyzed by Lewis acid and subsequent dehydration of fructose catalyzed by Bronsted acid. In this work, in order to obtain a high yield of 5-HMF, a series of Sn-Al-Beta catalysts containing both Lewis and Bronsted acid sites were prepared by a convenient solid state ion exchange (SSIE) method using partially dealuminated Beta zeolite and tin(II) acetate.RESULTS: The obtained bifunctional catalysts were investigated for one-pot production of 5-HMF from glucose in the ionic liquid (IL) [C(4)mim]Cl. Among various catalysts, Sn-Al-Beta-4-8 exhibited the best catalytic performance, giving a 5-HMF yield of 54% under optimal reaction conditions (393 K, 2 h), along with a glucose conversion of 81%. The Sn-Al-Beta-4-8 catalyst and IL were regenerated by the extraction of 5-HMF, and the reactivity was reserved after five runs of recycling. In addition to glucose, the Sn-Al-Beta-4-8/[C(4)mim]Cl system was also proven to have the potential to effectively convert other carbohydrates into 5-HMF.CONCLUSION: The results suggested that the catalyst is convenient to prepare and has preferable efficiency and stability in the conversion of carbohydrates into 5-HMF.(c) 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

Automated summary

The Sn-Al-Beta catalysts prepared by solid state ion exchange method showed excellent catalytic performance in the conversion of glucose to 5-HMF in an ionic liquid. Among them, Sn-Al-Beta-4-8 exhibited the best catalytic performance, achieving a 5-HMF yield of 54% and a glucose conversion of 81%. The catalyst and ionic liquid could be regenerated by extracting 5-HMF and maintained good catalytic activity after five cycles of recycling. Moreover, the Sn-Al-Beta-4-8/[C(4)mim]Cl system also showed potential in converting other carbohydrates into 5-HMF.