Heterogeneous catalysis for the production of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural and of 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan from fructose and inulin

Today, the sustainable growth of the chemical and energy industries has become an indispensable benchmark of our society and the current development of the industrial sector based on fossil resources must be replaced by an alternative one, linked to renewable resources. Therefore, the catalytic conversion of renewables is a promising and important topic, in particular for the synthesis of 5-hydroxymeththylfurfural (HMF) and of 2,5- bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF) which find several applications in many strategic fields. Consequently, from the point of view of sustainability and of an integrate approach based on the biorefinery concept, the conversion of fructose and inulin to HMF has been studied in the respect of green chemistry principles. The obtained aqueous solutions containing HMF, after removing the acid catalyst have been directly hydrogenated to BHMF.