Abstract:
The direct, one-pot catalytic conversion of carbohydrates (especially sucrose and glucose) to 2,5-
diformylfuran is a challenging task. The development of a bi-functional sustainable heterogeneous catalyst
is crucial to achieve high selectivity for the desired product 2,5-diformylfuran in this direct conversion process.
In this study, tandem, one-pot, two-step direct conversion of carbohydrates into 2,5-diformylfuran is
reported using a Ru nanoparticle-supported H-beta catalyst. This carbohydrate conversion process is characterized
by the abundance and low cost of reactants with no need for 5-hydroxymethylfurfural separation
or purification. Molecular oxygen (1 atm) is used as an oxidant. No external oxidizing reagent is required to
carry out this transformation. A combination of H-beta and Ru nanoparticles successfully affords the direct
synthesis of 2,5-diformylfuran from carbohydrates via isomerization, dehydration, and successive selective
oxidation under one-pot conditions. This one-pot tandem reaction protocol affords 2,5-diformylfuran with
yields of 80% and 67% from fructose and sucrose, respectively. Moreover, the catalyst is easily recycled
and reused without any loss of catalytic activity.
