Efficient preparation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from glucose using Na2SO4/NH4HSO4 as the catalyst in the continuous flow reactor

BACKGROUND 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), as an important biomass platform compound, can be transformed into biofuels and numerous high value-added chemicals, and occupies an extremely important position in biorefining. Herein, a novel catalytic system has been developed for the direct conversion of glucose to HMF using inexpensive Na 2 SO 4 /NH 4 HSO 4 as the catalyst. RESULTS The maximum glucose conversion of 90.77% with 45.05% yield of HMF was obtained at 190 °C, catalyst Na 2 SO 4 /NH 4 HSO 4 80 wt%, water and methyl isobutyl ketone volume ratio 1/5, and residence time 20 min. A kinetics model was developed to predict the yield of HMF and glucose conversion, which was consistent with the experimental results. CONCLUSION The continuous production of HMF from glucose can be efficiently performed with Na 2 SO 4 /NH 4 HSO 4 with a mass ratio of 3/2 as the catalyst. This catalytic system for the continuous production of HMF has great practical significance and potential economic value for promoting the industrial production of HMF and its derivatives. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.