(544c) Utilizing a DMSO-like Material in Presence of Sulfuric Acid for Selective Fructose to 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Reaction in Water

Biomass as a renewable carbon feedstock can be converted to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a useful platform chemical that can be modified to produce valuable chemicals and fuels. Previous research has shown that high HMF selectivity can be achieved in organic solvents such as dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) due to its capability to stabilize HMF in solution. However, DMSO is not a preferred bulk solvent as product separation from the reaction solution is difficult. In addition, DMSO cannot be easily integrated into a continuous process, which uses water as the solvent for upstream biomass conversion steps. The aim of this work is to synthesize a heterogeneous, DMSO-like material that is capable of providing beneficial stabilization interactions so that fructose dehydration to HMF can be preformed with high selectivity in pure water.