The Dehydration of Fructose Towards 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural Using Activated Carbon as Adsorbent

5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) can be selectively adsorbed onto activated carbon with loadings up to 30% (w/w), depending on the type of carbon used. Adsorption isotherms of HMF on several types of carbon and in different solvents are presented. Activated carbon is used in in the dehydration of fructose towards HMF in order to suppress the formation of side‐products (e. g. levulinic acid). A dehydration set‐up in which the formation and adsorption of HMF take place at different temperatures is presented. The HMF is recovered by extraction of the loaded activated carbon with organic solvent.