Valorization of chitin biomass into N-containing chemical 3-acetamido-5-acetylfuran catalyzed by simple Lewis acid

3-Acetamido-5-acetylfuran(3A5AF) is a nitrogen-containing fine chemical and has broad application prospects and high research value. Herein, we report a mild and efficient method for the synthesis of 3A5AF from N-acetyl- d -glucosamine (NAG). The influence of solvent, temperature and additive on the catalytic performance was also studied. The Lewis acids with high catalytic efficiency have been smoothly screened. The highest yield (41.57%) of 3A5AF was obtained in the presence of B 2 O 3 and MgCl 2 ·6H 2 O at 180 °C for 60 min under normal atmospheric conditions. The reaction pathway was explored by LC-MS, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR and FT-IR spectra. Compared with the microwave method and hydrothermal method , the optimized reaction condition was relatively mild. Moreover, the catalyst MgCl 2 ·6H 2 O is low-cost and environmentally friendly.