5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a potential cellulosic biomass based platform chemical for the production of sustainable polymers or biofuels. In the catalytic conversion of glucose to HMF, it is known that the property of solvents largely determines the glucose conversion efficiency and the product selectivity. Ionic liquids as solvent, in the presence of an effective catalyst such as Cr(II) or Cr(III), not only converts glucose in high yield to HMF, but also afford an effective medium for the dissolution of cellulose, making it possible to catalytic depolymerize cellulose to glucose and, in the presence of Cr(II) or Cr(III) ion, to further produce HMF. While the product HMF could be separated from the ionic liquid phase by using an organic extraction phase, a very unfavorable distribution coefficient in a typical organic phase over the ionic liquid phase makes the extraction highly inefficient. In order for the ionic liquids to be economically viable for the production of HMF, efficient HMF product recovery to allow the reuse of the ionic liquids is critically important. Various extraction solvents have been evaluated and reported in the literature, but the results have so far been unsatisfactory.   Through our recent research, a new strategy involving mediation of the ionic liquid solvency property was systematically studied and was found significantly effective for improved HMF extraction efficiency. Not only was the organic extraction coefficient considerably increased, but also the mediated ionic liquids allowed for increased HMF yield at high glucose feed concentration. As a result, the productivity of HMF in the mediated solvents is enhanced. The mediated solvents also display a unique affinity behavior for HMF. Examples will be used to illustrate the principle and the effect of ionic liquid solvency mediation for catalytic glucose conversion and HMF separation.

Solvency mediation for the synthesis and separation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

247th National Meeting (2014)

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