Deriving
bulk chemicals from sustainable biomass for chemical industries
has become a worldwide consensus because of the rapid depletion of
fossil feedstock. Here, synthesis of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA),
an alternative to p-phthalic acid, from furfural
based platform molecule was explored. Using 5-bromo-furoic acid as
the starting chemical which has been industrially available through
bromination of furoic acid, 98% yield of FDCA can be achieved by catalytic
carbonylation in aqueous solution with palladium catalyst, and FDCA
separation can be easily performed through simple acidification of
reaction media in large-scale synthesis. This new route to FDCA has
offered furfural a promising subchemical with a large market. Meanwhile,
it also provides an alternative source to FDCA originating from C5
based bulk biomass, that is, hemicellulose, thus offering an opportunity
to relieve the current stress in FDCA synthesis from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural
originally from cellulose to replace p-phthalic acid
in polymer industry.