A highly selective and efficient method for the production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from dehydration of fructose using SACS/DES catalytic system

Our findings could have an impact on the synthesis of HMF and the rational design of deep eutectic solvents (DES) for liquid-phase separations of HMF in biomass processing. Bronsted acidic sites in the case of sulfonated amorphous carbon-silica (SACS) led to excellent selectivity in the dehydration of fructose in deep eutectic solvents. The deep eutectic solvents were found to play a crucial role to suppress the formation of undesired products and make the work-up separation of HMF easier. The combination of amorphous carbon with deep eutectic solvent allowed to conduct a transformation of fructose to HMF with 67% yield and 100% selectivity towards HMF at 110 degrees C in 4 h. The excellent selectivity, work-up simplification, and recyclable catalytic system provide a cost-effective strategy for the synthesis of HMF.