Highly Efficient One-Pot Conversion of Glucose to 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural over Acid–Base Bifunctional MCM-41 Mesoporous Silica under Mild Aqueous Conditions

Abstract

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.