Abstract
The direct conversion of glucose to 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) in ionic liquids with lanthanide catalysts was examined in search of a possibly more environmentally feasible process not involving chromium. The highest HMF yield was obtained with ytterbium chloride or triflate together with alkylimidazolium chlorides. Notably, a higher reactivity was observed when the hydrophobicity of the imidazolium cation was increased, in contrast to analogous chromium catalyst systems. This indicates a different reaction mechanism for the lanthanides than for the chromium catalyst systems.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Green Chemistry |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Pages (from-to) | 321-325 |
| ISSN | 1463-9262 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2010 |