Selective 5-hydroxymethylfurfural production from cellulose formate in DMSO-H2O media

Abstract

5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) can be widely converted into value-added chemicals and fuels production. Herein, we reported a sustainable and efficient approach for synthesizing HMF directly from cellulose. Facile formylation of cellulose with green and recyclable formic acid was developed for cellulose formate (CF) production. CF with special net-like structure and high degree of formyl substitution was prepared. The resultant CF exhibited excellent catalytic conversion and selectivity for HMF production comparable to monomeric glucose as reactant in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-H2O media. In our work, we presented molecular dynamics simulations to elaborate the preferential coordination of DMSO around formyl group, which promoted the solvation of formylated substrate in DMSO-H2O mixture, and the HMF yielded could be protected by DMSO without further degradation to levulinic acid or humins.