5-Methoxymethyl furfural production by acid heterogeneous catalytic etherification of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural

The use of non-edible raw materials from agriculture as a form of biomass to obtain carbon-based compounds is the most viable solution to replace fossil resources. Within this, 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) is a platform monomer from which other high value-added monomers are obtained, such as 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a compound that can be obtained from 5-methoxymethyl furfural (MMF), and which can be used as a fuel, fuel additive or polymer precursor. Several catalysts (mostly zeolites) have been tested to produce MMF. Specifically, with a ZSM-5 zeolite a yield towards this compound of 97 % has been achieved, carrying out the reaction in a batch reactor for 5 h. Through the characterization of the catalysts, a strong correlation has been observed between the acidity of these catalysts and their effectiveness in the reaction of HMF through MMF.