Acid-Catalyzed Dehydration of Fructose into 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural by Cellulose-Derived Amorphous Carbon

Abstract

Carbonaceous solid (CS) catalysts with SO₃H, COOH, and phenolic OH groups were prepared by incomplete hydrothermal carbonization of cellulose followed by either sulfonation with H₂SO₄ to give carbonaceous sulfonated solid (CSS) material or by both chemical activation with KOH and sulfonation to give activated carbonaceous sulfonated solid (a-CSS) material. The obtained carbon products (CS, CSS, and a-CSS) were amorphous; the CSS material had a small surface area (<0.5 m² g⁻¹) and a high SO₃H group concentration (0.953 mmol g⁻¹), whereas the a-CSS material had a large surface area (514 m² g⁻¹) and a low SO₃H group concentration (0.172 mmol g⁻¹). The prepared materials were evaluated as catalysts for the dehydration of fructose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM][Cl]). Remarkably high 5-HMF yields (83 %) could be obtained efficiently (80 °C and 10 min reaction time). CSS and a-CSS catalysts had similar catalytic activities and efficiencies for the conversion of fructose to 5-HMF in [BMIM][Cl]; this could be explained by the trade-off between SO₃H group concentration (high for CSS) and surface area (high for a-CSS). The cellulose-derived catalysts and ionic liquid exhibited constant activity for five successive recycles, and thus, the methods developed provide a renewable strategy for biomass conversion.