Phase Effects in Zirconia Catalysed Glucose Conversion to 5‐(Hydroxymethyl)furfural

Abstract

5‐(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) is a key biomass derived platform chemicals used to produce fuel precursors or additives and value‐added chemicals, synthesised by the cascade isomerisation of glucose and subsequent dehydration of reactively formed fructose to HMF over Lewis and Bronsted acid catalysts respectively. Zirconia is a promising catalyst for such reactions; however, the impact of acid properties of different zirconia phases is poorly understood. In this work, we unravel the role of the zirconia crystalline phase in glucose isomerisation and fructose dehydration to HMF. The Lewis acidic monoclinic phase of zirconia is revealed to preferentially facilitate glucose isomerisation, while the nanoparticulate tetragonal phase possesses Brønsted acid sites which favour fructose dehydration. Synergy between both zirconia phases facilitates cascade HMF production, with both catalysts investigated as physical mixtures in batch and flow reactor configurations. Using a physical mixture of only 15 wt% m‐ZrO2 with 85 wt% t‐ZrO2 in either batch or packed bed reactor configuration is sufficient to reach equilibrium conversion of glucose for subsequent dehydration by the t‐ZrO2 component. Under continuous flow, a six‐fold increase in HMF production was obtained when operating with a physical mixture of m‐ and t‐ZrO2 compared to that from a single bed of t‐ZrO2.