A Facile and Eco-Effective Catalytic System for Synthesis of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural from Glucose

A facile and eco-friendly system for synthesis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from glucose has been investigated with the catalyst dihydric phosphate (H2PO4—) in a methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK)/H2O biphasic system. The results showed that the catalyst dosage, reaction temperature, and reaction time had noticeable effects on glucose conversion and the HMF yield; more than 50% yield of HMF was achieved at the optimum conditions. In addition, this catalytic system was broadly substrate-tolerant; a satisfactory HMF yield was obtained from higher substrate concentrations and complex substrates. Furthermore, this efficient catalyst was recycled up to nine consecutive times without the loss of catalytic activity.