Hydroxymethylfurfural production from bioresources: past, present and future

Abstract

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) has been known as a product from hexose dehydration for over 100 years and is considered to be one of the most promising platform molecules that can be converted into a variety of interesting chemicals. HMF, together with furfural and 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) are derivatives of furan compounds, which were listed as the top 10 value-added bio-based chemicals by the US Department of Energy. The great and increasing interest in the production of furan derivatives from biomass resources is due to the great potential of furan derivatives as feedstock for bulk chemicals and fuels. HMF can be synthesized by dehydration of all types of C6 carbohydrates, including monomeric and polymeric carbohydrates, such as fructose, glucose, sucrose, starch, inulin, cellulose, and raw biomass.Numerous improvements and milestones have been made in the dehydration process during the past 130 years. The big challenge for the process of HMF production is its suitability for industrial scale yet being cost efficient. This perspective article will review the HMF development timeline, focusing on the important events, landmark contributions, engineering and practical challenges of HMF production.

Processing of Biobased Resources

“…7.18) from sugars. HMF is one of or perhaps the most interesting platform chemical for the bioeconomy (Teong et al 2014), mainly because of the two functional groups enabling the formation of many different consecutive products. These chemicals can replace fossil-based plastics, and potential end products include bottles for drinks and nylon stockings.…”

Catalytic Conversion of Carbohydrates to Furanic Derivatives in the Presence of Choline Chloride

“…Numerous reviews can be found in the literature on the synthesis of furfural and HMF [4][5][6]. However, despite extensive literature devoted to the synthesis of furanic derivatives, purification and selectivity issues still hamper further industrialization.…”

Kinetic Study of the Decomposition of Cellulose to 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural in Ionic Liquid

“…With multiple functional groups within the molecule, 5-HMF can be used to prepare diverse chemicals of high value ) through hydrogenation, halogenation, esterification, and other chemical reactions. For example, the selective oxidation of 5-HMF produces 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, which is used for the preparation of insecticides, fungicides, and pesticides (Smay 1985;Siewping et al 2014). 2,5-Dimethylfuran, a highefficiency clean fuel, can also be obtained by the selective reduction of 5-HMF.…”