title: Effects of Water on the Copper-Catalyzed Conversion of Hydroxymethylfurfural in Tetrahydrofuran.
abstract: Reaction kinetics were studied to quantify the effects of water on the conversion of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in THF over Cu/γ-Al2 O3 at 448 K using molecular H2 as the hydrogen source. We show that low concentrations of water (5 wt %) in the THF solvent significantly alter reaction rates and selectivities for the formation of reaction products by hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis processes. In the absence of water, HMF was converted primarily to hydrogenolysis products 2-methyl-5-hydroxymethylfuran (MHMF) and 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF), whereas reactions carried out in THF-H2 O mixtures (THF/H2 O=95:5 w/w) led to the selective production of the hydrogenation product 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF) and inhibition of HMF hydrogenolysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Yifei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Max A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mellmer
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
authors.forename: David Martin
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA. jdumesic@wisc.edu.
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Dumesic
mesh_terms: D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry; D002384:Catalysis; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D005662:Furaldehyde / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D005663:Furans / Q000737:chemistry*; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D006865:Hydrogenation; D007700:Kinetics; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005663:Furans; D012997:Solvents; D014867:Water; C018674:tetrahydrofuran; C008046:5-hydroxymethylfurfural; D003300:Copper; D006859:Hydrogen; D005662:Furaldehyde; D000537:Aluminum Oxide
keywords: biofuels; biomass conversion; copper; hydrogenation; hydroxymethylfurfural