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Conversion of Glucose in CPL‐LiCl to 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural
Author(s) -
Chen Tianming,
Lin Lu
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
chinese journal of chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1614-7065
pISSN - 1001-604X
DOI - 10.1002/cjoc.201090299
Subject(s) - chemistry , 5 hydroxymethylfurfural , organic chemistry , hydroxymethylfurfural , chemical transformation , solvent , catalysis , raw material , lithium chloride , biomass (ecology) , levoglucosan , sugar , furfural , oceanography , geology , aerosol , biomass burning
5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), an important versatile sugar derivative, is also considered a key intermediate between petroleum‐based industrial organic chemistry and bio‐based carbohydrate chemistry. Here, we report that caprolactam (CPL) containing lithium chloride (LiCl) is a privileged solvent that enables the synthesis of the renewable platform chemical 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from purified glucose. Metal halides in CPL‐LiCl are catalysts, among which CrCl 3 , CrCl 2 , SnCl 4 and SnCl 2 are found to be uniquely effective, leading to the conversion of glucose to HMF with yields of 55% –67%. The simplicity of this chemical transformation of glucose contrasts markedly with the complexity of extant processes and provides a new paradigm for the use of biomass as a raw material for a renewable energy and chemical industries.