The
one-pot synthesis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from glucose
as a cheap feedstock under mild conditions continues to be challenging
for the chemical industry. Herein, a solid acid–base bifunctional
catalyst was prepared by the postsynthetic modification of MCM-41
mesoporous silica with 3-chloropropyltriethoxysilane and subsequent
anchoring of sulfanilic acid to its surface. A combination of N2 sorption, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy
studies proved that the ordered mesostructure of MCM-41 was preserved
during the process of catalyst preparation. The as-synthesized catalyst
was successful in the one-pot production of HMF from glucose in an
aqueous medium. The influences of numerous reaction parameters on
the HMF yield were examined in detail. In optimal circumstances, 89%
HMF was obtained by glucose conversion at 100 °C and 120 min
using 20 mg of catalyst. Remarkably, the catalyst was tested up to
six recycles and demonstrated no observable drop in catalytic performance,
indicating its potential for industry applications.