title: Phase modifiers promote efficient production of hydroxymethylfurfural from fructose.
abstract: Furan derivatives obtained from renewable biomass resources have the potential to serve as substitutes for the petroleum-based building blocks that are currently used in the production of plastics and fine chemicals. We developed a process for the selective dehydration of fructose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) that operates at high fructose concentrations (10 to 50 weight %), achieves high yields (80% HMF selectivity at 90% fructose conversion), and delivers HMF in a separation-friendly solvent. In a two-phase reactor system, fructose is dehydrated in the aqueous phase with the use of an acid catalyst (hydrochloric acid or an acidic ion-exchange resin) with dimethylsulfoxide and/or poly(1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone) added to suppress undesired side reactions. The HMF product is continuously extracted into an organic phase (methylisobutylketone) modified with 2-butanol to enhance partitioning from the reactive aqueous solution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Yuriy
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Román-Leshkov
authors.forename: Juben N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Chheda
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Dumesic