An oxidant free approach to the transformation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2, 5-diformylfuran (DFF) in compressed CO2

摘要

Growing concern over diminishing fossil fuel, driving our society towards the renewable resource like biomass. Utilization of biomass for the production of fuel and valuable chemicals could be achieve through the careful selection of biomass derivatives (platform molecules). One of the most widely studied “platform molecule” is 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), which contains an active furan ring, a -CHO group and a –OH group. Selective oxidation of –OH group produces 2, 5-diformylfuran (DFF); an important compound in resins, polymers and artificial fibers. To overcome the shortcomings of conventional oxidation, acceptor-less dehydrogenation of –OH group is an effective choice. Here, we targeted the dehydrogenation of HMF to DFF using Rh/C in compressed CO2 without any oxidizing agent, additive and hydrogen acceptor.