Conversion of biomass into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural using solid acid catalyst

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) was produced from monosaccharide (fructose and glucose), polysaccharide (inulin) and the Jerusalem artichoke juice by a simple one-pot reaction including hydrolysis and dehydration using solid acid under mild condition. Hydrated niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5 center dot nH(2)O(2)) after pre-treatment showed high catalytic activities for dehydration of mono- and polysaccharide to HMF at 433 K in water-2-butanol (2:3 v/v) biphasic system, giving high HMF yield of 89% and 54% from fructose and inulin, respectively. The HMF yield was up to 74% and 65% when inulin and Jerusalem artichoke juice were hydrolyzed by exoinulinase. The solid acid made the process environment-friendly and energy-efficient to convert carbohydrates into bio-fuels and platform chemicals. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.