The preparation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) through the dehydration of fructose with room temperature ionic liquids (ILs) has received much attention as a way of producing liquid fuels from renewable resources, but the cost of the process is considerably increased with IL as a solvent rather than as a catalyst. In this work, we have shown that the alkaline Ionic Liquid, 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium Hydroxide ([BMIM]OH), can be used as a catalyst in the conversion of fructose to 5-HMF. The maximum yield of 5-HMF was 91.6% at 160 °C after 8 h using dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as solvent, and the ketose is more easily dehydrated than aldose in this catalyst system.

The preparation of lactic acid (LA) from the conversion of carbohydrates through chemical ways has received much attention as a way of producing platform chemicals from renewable resources, but harsh reaction conditions were usually employed especially when environmentally benign solvent (water) was used as the reaction media. In this work, polymerizates of imidazole and epichlorohydrin ([IMEP]Cl) have been used as catalysts for the conversion of maltose to LA. Several factors, including the temperature, the NaOH concentration, the [IMEP]Cl loading and the maltose concentration, were found to affect LA yield, and the process was optimized by method of orthogonal experiment. The order of significant factors was found to be maltose concentration > temperature > [IMEP]Cl loading > NaOH concentration. The optimum yield of LA was 48.5%. This route provides a new strategy for carbohydrates conversion to produce fine chemicals.

The PIL which were prepared from imidazole and epichlorohydrin were used as catalysts for the conversion of cellobiose to 5-HMF. Effects of the catalyst anion, solvents, reaction temperature, and recycling time were investigated in detail. The optimum reaction conditions for conversion of cellobiose into 5-HMFcatalysed by [IMEP]BF4 were temperature 180 oC, cellobiose 0.5 g, and [IMEP]BF4 0.25 g in DMSO(30 mL). In this condition the yield of 5-HMF can reach 39.2% for 420min. The good positive correlation between the concentration of glucose and the formation rate of 5-HMF was given, and the conversion of glucose into 5-HMF is the key step of formation of 5-HMF from cellobiose. Moreover, [IMEP]BF4 has well cycle performance in the optimum reaction condition.