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Direct Conversion of Cellulose into 5-HMF by Transition-Metal Doped Montmorillonite Catalyst in Water

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Clays and Clay Minerals

Abstract

Catalysts are very important in the use of cellulose, the main component of biomass, as a raw material for the large-scale production of liquid fuels and chemicals. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is an extremely important intermediate in the fine chemical industry. HMF can be synthesized by acid-catalyzed dehydration of fructose, glucose, cellulose, or sucrose. The conversion of cellulose to HMF is challenging due to its chemical structure. The objective of the present study was to devise a more facile synthesis method using transition metal-doped montmorillonite catalysts (10Cr-Mnt, 10Cu-Mnt, 10Fe-Mnt, and 10Zn-Mnt) by wet impregnation. Samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, specific surface area, and NH3-TPD analyses. The synthesized catalysts were used for the conversion of cellulose to 5-HMF in an aqueous medium. Among the metals studied, Cr showed the greatest catalytic activity. With the use of this catalyst, efficient conversion of cellulose to 5-HMF was achieved, affording a conversion yield of 93.47% and 5-HMF yield of 9.07% within 6 h at 200°C. The study described here could be useful for the efficient conversion of cellulose into 5-HMF, as well as into other biomass-derived chemicals.

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Data Availability

Data sets generated during the current study are available upon request from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by Anadolu University Scientific Research Projects Commission under the grant no: 1502F080

Funding

Funding sources are as stated in the Acknowledgements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Engineering Faculty, Chemical Engineering Department, Eskişehir Technical University, Eskişehir, Türkiye

    Ebru Tunç, Emir Zafer Hoşgün & Berrin Bozan

  2. Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Chemical Engineering Department, Bursa Technical University, Bursa, Türkiye

    Halit L. Hoşgün

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  1. Ebru Tunç
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  2. Emir Zafer Hoşgün
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  3. Halit L. Hoşgün
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  4. Berrin Bozan
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Correspondence to Berrin Bozan.

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Tunç, E., Hoşgün, E.Z., Hoşgün, H.L. et al. Direct Conversion of Cellulose into 5-HMF by Transition-Metal Doped Montmorillonite Catalyst in Water. Clays Clay Miner. 71, 14–24 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42860-023-00232-w

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