Continuous‐Flow Synthesis of 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural, Furfural from Monosaccharides: A Simple, Fast, and Practical Method

• Published in: ChemistrySelect (Weinheim) 2021-10, Vol.6 (40), p.10827-10833
• Main Authors: Ly, Phat Duc, Phan, Ha Bich, Le, Yen‐Nhi Thi, Tran, Phuong Hoang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural; Brønsted acidic ionic liquids; continuous-flow synthesis; fructose; p-TsOH
• ISSN: 2365-6549; 2365-6549
• DOI: 10.1002/slct.202102841

5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a versatile intermediate from biomass, can be applied to prepare a wide range of valuable compounds in the petroleum and chemical industries. Thus, simple, fast, and practical methods to convert carbohydrates into HMF have been capturing increasing attention. We reported herein a method of using p‐toluenesulfonic acid (p‐TsOH) and Brønsted acidic ionic liquid as catalysts for the dehydration of fructose in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) under a continuous flow process. The effect of the various reaction conditions on HMF formation was investigated, and the HMF yields were determined by the HPLC method. The results showed that p‐TsOH and Brønsted acidic ionic liquid are effective catalysts within short residence times. This study provides a simple and safe procedure that can be potentially performed on a large scale to synthesize HMF from fructose. We reported the continuous preparation of HMF from fructose in a home‐built continuous flow system using common homogeneous acid catalysts, including p‐TsOH, Brønsted acidic ionic liquid. The results showed that p‐TsOH and Brønsted acidic ionic liquid are effective catalysts within short residence times. This study provides a simple and safe procedure that can be potentially performed on a large scale to synthesize HMF from fructose.