From Furan to High Quality Bio-based Poly(ethylene furandicarboxylate)

2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (2,5-FDCA) has been regarded as the ideal bio-based alternative to terephthalic acid (TPA). In recent years, great efforts have been made to synthesize 2,5-FDCA through the following methods: (1) oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in the presence of complex biocatalyst or metallic catalyst; (2) conversion of 2-furoic acid via the well-known Henkel Reaction. Herein, a new strategy for the synthesis of 2,5-FDCA from furan and acetic anhydride under mild condition is reported. The purity of the resulted 2,5-FDCA was above 99.9%. Acetic acid and iodoform generated in the reaction were recyclable and no other harmful by-products were detected. The thus-obtained 2,5-FDCA was applied for the preparation of poly(ethylene furandicarboxylate) (PEF) of high quality in terms of high molecular weight and good appearance.