Catalytic Conversion of Biomass-derived Carbohydrates into 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural using a Strong Solid Acid Catalyst in Aqueous γ-Valerolactone

Selective conversion of biomass-derived carbohydrates into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is of great significance for biomass conversion. In this study, a novel solid Brønsted acid was prepared simply by the copolymerization of paraformaldehyde and p-toluenesulfonic acid and then used to catalyze the conversion of various carbohydrates into HMF in γ-valerolactone-water (GVL/H2O) reaction medium for the first time. The catalyst exhibited strong acidity, good water resistance, and high thermal stability. The present work focuses on the effects of various reaction parameters, including reaction temperature, time, water concentration, solvent, fructose level, and catalyst loading, on fructose dehydration. The catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic performance for HMF production from fructose in GVL and furnished a high HMF yield of 78.1% at 130 °C in 30 min. The recycling experiments suggested that the solid acid catalyst could be recycled at least seven times without a noticeable decrease in the catalytic activity. In addition, an attempt to study the one-step conversion of sucrose, glucose, and cellulose into HMF and furfural was performed using the same catalytic system.