Efficient formation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from glucose through H-β zeolite catalyst in the recyclable water-tetrahydrofuran biphasic system

Recent Advances in Zeolites-Catalyzed Biomass Conversion to Hydroxymethylfurfural: The Role of Porosity and Acidity

Biomass is an attractive raw material for the production of fuel oil and chemical intermediates due to its abundant reserves, low price, easy biodegradability, and renewable use. Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) is a valuable platform chemically derived from biomass that has gained significant research interest owing to its economic and environmental benefits. In this review, recent advances in biomass catalytic conversion systems for 5-HMF production were examined with a focus on the catalysts selection and feedstocks' impact on the 5-HMF selectivity and yield. Specifically, the potential of zeolite-based catalysts for efficient biomass catalysis was evaluated given their unique pore structure and tunable (Lewis and Brønsted) acidity. The benefits of hierarchical modifications and the interactions between porosity and acidity in zeolites, which are critical factors for the development of green catalytic systems to convert biomass to 5-HMF efficiently, were summarized and assessed. This Review suggests that zeolite-based catalysts hold significant promise in facilitating the sustainable utilization of biomass resources.

Aluminum ion intercalation in mesoporous multilayer carbocatalysts promotes the conversion of glucose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

In this study, an efficient modification strategy was proposed by facile loading of trace aluminum ions and p-toluene sulfonic acid (p-TSA) in carbon materials to improve their catalytic activity. p-TSA is then proven to regulate the carbonization process and promote the formation of mesoporous and multilayer structures. The hexa-coordinated aluminum structure is characterized by 1H-27Al solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which serves as the Lewis-Brønsted acid site in carbocatalysts. Accordingly, the resulting catalyst facilitates a yield of ∼70% for converting glucose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) with a maximum carbon balance of around 91.4% at 150 °C in 6 h. In situ NMR, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and isotope labeling analysis reveal that the hexa-coordinated aluminum sites promote the isomerization of glucose, and the sulfonic groups facilitate the subsequent dehydration and rehydration of fructose and levoglucosan intermediates. Kinetic models further indicate the decreased energy barrier for glucose conversion over the Al3+/p-TSA intercalated carbocatalyst. This work provides a promising strategy for engineering waste-derived carbocatalysts toward effectively converting carbohydrates to precursors of biofuels and bioplastics.

Sulfonic acid functionalized β zeolite as efficient bifunctional solid acid catalysts for the synthesis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from cellulose

Introduction of the sulfonic acid group into H-β zeolite to prepare β-SO₃H bifunctional catalysts for the efficient synthesis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from cellulose. Catalysts characterization, such as XRD, ICP-OES, SEM (Mapping), FTIR, XPS, N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherm, NH₃-TPD, Py-FTIR demonstrate the sulfonic acid group was successfully grafted onto the β zeolite. A superior HMF yield (59.4 %) and cellulose conversion (89.4 %) was obtained in the H₂O(NaCl)/THF biphasic system under 200 °C for 3 h with β-SO₃H(3) zeolite as catalyst. More valuable, β-SO₃H(3) zeolite converts other sugars and obtains ideal HMF yield, including fructose (95.5 %), glucose (86.5 %), sucrose (76.8 %), maltose (71.5 %), cellobiose (67.0 %), starch (68.1 %), glucan (64.4 %) and also converts plant material (25.1 % for moso bamboo and 18.7 % for wheat straw) with great HMF yield. β-SO₃H(3) zeolite catalyst keeps an appreciable recyclability after 5 cycles. Moreover, in the presence of β-SO₃H(3) zeolite catalyst, the by-products during the production of HMF from cellulose were detected, and the possible conversion pathway of cellulose to HMF was proposed. The β-SO₃H bifunctional catalyst has excellent potential for the biorefinery of high value platform compound from carbohydrates.

Dehydration of fructose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural over a mesoporous sulfonated high-crosslinked polymer in different solvents

SHCP was active and stable for dehydration of fructose to 5-HMF in DIO/H2O as H2O depressed oligomerization of 5-HMF.