Synergistic chemo/biocatalytic synthesis of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is a promising bio-based chemical in polymer industry. In this work, we constructed an oxidative cascade for one-pot synthesis of FDCA from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) by exploiting Comamonas testosteroni SC1588 cells and laccase-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) system. HMF was oxidized to 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxylic acid (HMFCA) by the cells at neutral pH. The HMFCA formation shifted pH of the reaction mixture to acidic range, which favored laccase-TEMPO catalytic oxidation. 5-Formyl-2-furancarboxylic acid derived from HMFCA via laccase-TEMPO catalysis was converted to FDCA by the cells. FDCA was obtained in an 87% yield within 36 h, providing a productivity of around 0.4 g/L h.