A novel route for green conversion of cellulose to HMF by cascading enzymatic and chemical reactions

Abstract

In this work, a novel route to deconstruct cellulose into 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) by cascading enzymatic and chemical reactions is reported. For biocatalyst preparation, Fe3O4 nanoparticles encapsulated SBA‐15 with appropriate pore size was synthesized and utilized as magnetic scaffolds for the immobilization of cellulase. For chemical catalyst preparation, sulfated zirconium dioxide conformed monolayers were grafted on SBA‐15 template to create thermally robust mesoporous catalysts with tunable solid basic/Lewis acid and Brønsted acid sites. Catalytic performance of biocatalyst and chemical catalyst was explored in the aqueous phase conversion of IL pretreated cellulose to glucose, and in the iPrOH/water solvent conversion of glucose to HMF conversion, respectively. After the optimization of reaction conditions, a sequential conversion of pretreated cellulose to glucose and glucose to HMF was performed, and 43.6% HMF yield can be obtained. The cascaded enzymatic and chemocatalytic reaction system demonstrates an effective and economically friendly process for biomass energy conservation. A novel route for green conversion of IL pretreated cellulose to 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) by cascading an enzymatic catalysis in an aqueous system with chemocatalysis in an iPrOH/water solvent mixture is reported. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2017

Halloysite Nanotubes Templated Acid‐Base Bi‐functional Hollow Polymeric Solids for Select Conversion of Cellulose to 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural

“…Moreover, as high as 64.25% of HMF yield can be obtained from glucose, further confirming the high catalytic performance of catalyst‐2 with optimal acid‐base strength. The acid and base active sites have been previously reported to work synergistically for cellulose transformation, in which isomerization process of glucose to fructose was promoted by base sites, and the dehydration reaction of reactively formed fructose to HMF was directed by acid sites ,,,…”

“…HMF can derive many downstream products, including 2,5‐dimethylfuran, 2,5‐diformylfuran, 2,5‐furandicarboxylic acid, levulinic acid, 1,6‐hexanediol, adipic acid, caprolactam, and caprolactone, which were applied diffusely to medicine, plastics and optoelectronic, have great potential alternative to burn coal‐based and oil‐based chemical synthetic monomer ,. Therefore, employing the most abundant organic compound of inedible cellulose as feed stock for HMF synthesis has been hot spots in the past decades . Cellulose is formed by glucose unions through β‐1, 4‐glucosidic, which can be transformed into other small molecules, including ethanol, glucose and HMF by the efficient catalytic systems.…”

Recent Advances of Cellulase Immobilization onto Magnetic Nanoparticles: An Update Review

“…This pretreatment of media converted cellulose to glucose and glucose to HMF, while HMF and glucose yields were 43.6% and 86.2%, respectively (Scheme 1). The results obtained from enzymatic cascades and reaction systems prove that this method can be applied as an operative route for biomass energy maintenance [51]. In another study, Trichoderma reesei cellulase was immobilized on two different nanomatrices (MNPs and silica nanoparticles (SNPs)) to improve enzymatic efficiency.…”

Mesostructure organic‐inorganic hybrid ionic liquids based on heteropoly acids: Effect of linkage on the molecular structure and catalytic activity

“…Ionic liquids (ILs) exhibit fascinating range of properties during the course of the last two decades which include high thermal and chemical stability, un‐flammability, suitable solvation behaviors and un‐volatility . Some recent studies have reported that ILs also show outstanding dissolving property for some cellulosic derivatives that insoluble in traditional solvents . Additionally, they are liquid in a wide temperature range and show interesting electrochemical behaviors .…”