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High-yield production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from d-fructose, d-glucose, and cellulose by its in situ removal from the reaction system

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Abstract

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) from lignocellulosics has attracted attention as a platform chemical in chemical industry. In 5-HMF production processes, undesired degradation of 5-HMF by acid catalysts generally occurs, by which the 5-HMF yield is decreased along with formation of various types of by-products. In this study, we employed an acidic ionic liquid, 1-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate ([HMIM]HSO4), as a reaction medium for 5-HMF production and carried out in situ removal of 5-HMF from the reaction solution by on-line vacuum steam distillation. In our reaction system, 76.1% 5-HMF yield was achieved from d-glucose, which yield was very similar to that from d-fructose (77.3%). Various types of cellulose samples also gave 5-HMF with the yield up to 68.3% regardless of their molecular weights and crystallinities. The 5-HMF produced was recovered as an aqueous solution with substantial purity and almost no contamination with the ionic liquid.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partly supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Japan. The authors express their gratitude to Associate Prof. Daisuke Tatsumi, Kyushu University, for his kind provision of the ascidian cellulose sample.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University, Kyoto, Japan

    Kota Enomoto, Takashi Hosoya & Hisashi Miyafuji

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  1. Kota Enomoto
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  2. Takashi Hosoya
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  3. Hisashi Miyafuji
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Correspondence to Hisashi Miyafuji.

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Enomoto, K., Hosoya, T. & Miyafuji, H. High-yield production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from d-fructose, d-glucose, and cellulose by its in situ removal from the reaction system. Cellulose 25, 2249–2257 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-018-1717-3

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