Efficient conversion of fructose to produce high-purity 5-hydroxymethylfurfural under low temperature

The development of mild strategies to transform of fructose to prepare high-purity 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is of great significance for biomass valorization, and the design of an efficient catalytic approach is crucial. Herein, a mild catalytic strategy was developed to achieve the preparation of high-purity HMF from fructose over Amberlyst-15 catalyst in a water-methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) biphasic system under atmospheric pressure and lower temperature (90 degrees C). The catalytic system was optimized and analyzed by response surface methodology and kinetics study. Results indicated that a 46.6% yield of HMF could be obtained under optimal conditions: 80 wt% Amberlyst-15 catalyst, the mass ratio of MIBK to H2O 10, and the reaction time of 7 h. Furthermore, a simple and efficient purification strategy of HMF was established. High purity (99.0%) and recovery rate (65.5%) of HMF were obtained. This work provides an efficient catalytic strategy to produce high-purity HMF from fructose under atmospheric pressure and lower temperature.

Automated summary

A mild catalytic strategy was developed to prepare high-purity 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from fructose using Amberlyst-15 catalyst in a water-methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) biphasic system. The catalytic system was optimized, and a 46.6% yield of HMF was obtained under the optimal conditions of 80 wt% Amberlyst-15 catalyst, MIBK to H2O mass ratio of 10, and a reaction time of 7 h. Furthermore, a simple and efficient purification strategy resulted in a high purity (99.0%) and recovery rate (65.5%) of HMF. This work provides an efficient catalytic strategy for producing high-purity HMF from fructose under atmospheric pressure and lower temperature.