One-Pot Conversion of Carbohydrates into 5-(Hydroxymethyl)furfural using Heterogeneous Lewis-Acid and Bronsted-Acid Catalysts

Sn-beta zeolite and PTSA-POM, made from the copolymerization of p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) and paraformaldehyde (POM), were used for the production of 5-(hydroxymethyl)-furfural (HMF) from glucose in an environmentally friendly solvent system including gamma-valerolactone (GVL) and H2O. The effects of reaction temperature, reaction time, solvent, and catalyst-to-reactant ratio on the production of HMF were investigated. The combination of the Bronsted acid and Lewis acid catalysts largely improved the catalytic system and resulted in the production of HMF in 60.1% yield at 140 degrees C in 30min. The presence of water in the solvent had a positive influence on the production of HMF from glucose. The combination of the two catalysts also improved the catalytic performance for the production of HMF from cellulose and corn stalk.