Multi gram scale synthesis of HMF and comparative environmental evaluation

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a bio-based platform chemical that can be used as building block to produce complex and useful compounds with diverse applicability, in particular, bio-based polymers, materials and fuels [1], [2]. Even though HMF synthesis holds promise for a greener future, with the current state of technology the high production cost limits its competitiveness at an industrial scale[1]. In this project our main goal is to develop an optimized procedure for the synthesis of HMF that will allow us to perform scale-up reactions with competitive yields with a green mindset. The synthesis of HMF from the dehydration of D-fructose, already investigated by our research group[2], was performed with a heterogeneous acid catalyst using various conditions in different settings: autoclave, sonificator and microwave oven. The best results were obtained employing a stainless-steel autoclave which allowed a large scale HMF production using up to forty grams of D-fructose as starting material. The final product was recovered from the crude mixture and purified by a custom-made crystallization procedure. Finally, green metrics were used to evaluate the greenness of the reaction in comparison with previously reported works[3].