Enhanced catalytic conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-diformylfuran by HKUST-1/TEMPO under microwave irradiation

Abstract

For developing more effective oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF), a Cu-based metal organic framework, HKUST-1, is proposed to incorporate with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) under microwave (MW) for enhancing HMF oxidation to DFF. In comparison to oxidation of HMF by a conventional heating (CH), MW is validated to shorten reaction time (< 1 h) and enhance HMF conversion (> 99%) and yield of DFF (> 99%). HKUST-1 is reusable for HMF conversion using MW over multiple cycles. These results indicate that HKUST-1 is a highly effective catalyst for HMF conversion, and MW further enhances HMF conversion and increases yield of DFF significantly.