CATALYTIC CONVERSION OF FRUCTOSE INTO 5-HYDROXYMETHYLFURFURAL BY USING Cr-MODIFIED KUNIPIA-F CLAY

Abstract

Catalytic conversion of fructose into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is investigated in detail using chromium-exchanged Kunipia-F clay (K550-Cr-calcined at 550°C) using dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as the solvent. The as-synthesized catalyst is characterized using XRD, ICE-AES, BET, SEM, FTIR, and EDX. The clay catalysts are initially screened for fructose conversion and HMF yield and then K550-Cr, which shows the superior activity amongst the catalysts understudy, is chosen for further experiments. Various reaction parameters like reaction temperature and time, catalyst dosage, initial substrate concentration, and catalyst reusability are studied in detail. The maximum HMF yield obtained is about 89% at milder reaction conditions (130°C for 3 h). The most interesting result is that the catalyst can be recovered easily without any loss and reused four times without loss in activity (HMF yield after five cycles is 88%).