Optimization of Co/Mn/Br-Catalyzed Oxidation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural to Enhance 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid Yield and Minimize Substrate Burning

Abstract

2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is a valuable nonphthalate biomass-based plastic precursor with the potential to replace terephthalic acid (TPA) in a variety of polymer applications. In this work, the Co/Mn/Br-catalyzed semicontinuous oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to FDCA has been demonstrated at temperatures lower than those employed in the traditional Mid-Century (MC) process. As HMF is more susceptible to side reactions (e.g., the overoxidation to CO and CO2), lower temperatures compared to the MC process are typically used to prevent substrate burning. However, lower temperatures afford a much reduced FDCA yield compared to that of TPA in p-xylene oxidation. Therefore, optimization of other operating variables such as catalyst composition, water concentration in the acetic acid solvent, and pressure is essential to maximize FDCA yield. Using such optimization, we show that the FDCA yield can be enhanced to 90% at a 1/0.015/0.5 molar ratio of Co, Mn, and Br, 7% (v/v) water, 30 bar (CO2/O...