Procedure for the synthesis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from saccharides

摘要

Process for the preparation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural comprising the steps of: A) heating to a temperature between 60 and 120 ° C for a time between 10 minutes and 12 hours a mixture consisting of: a) a quaternary ammonium salt R3R 'N + X- in which: - R, which is the same or different, represents a C1-C4 alkyl group; - R 'represents a C1-C15 alkyl group; - X- represents an anion selected from chloride, bromide, iodide, fluoride or hydroxide; b) at least one catalyst selected from: b-i) titanium oxide (IV) supported on silica having a specific surface area between 150 and 900 m2 / g, calcined at a temperature between 150 and 900 ° C; b-ii) phosphotungstic acid, H3 [P (W3O10) 4], supported on silica having a specific surface area between 150 and 900 m2 / g, calcined at a temperature between 150 and 900 ° C; b-iii) Zrconium phosphate Zr (HPO4) 2; b-iv) Ti titanium phosphate (HPO4) 2; c) water in an amount between 1 and 50% by weight with respect to the quaternary ammonium sa d) one or more saccharides selected from monosaccharides having 6 carbon atoms, disaccharides, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides formed from monosaccharide units having 6 carbon atoms; B) add to the reaction mixture an organic solvent or a mixture of organic solvents in which the quaternary ammonium salt and the catalyst are highly insoluble and the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural is soluble, at a temperature between 15 ° C and the point of boiling the organic solvent or the mixture of organic solvents, obtaining the quaternary ammonium salt and the catalyst as a solid phase, and the organic solvent or mixture of organic solvents and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural as the liquid phase; C) removing the solid phase from the liquid phase of stage B); D) separating the organic solvent or mixture of organic solvents from the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural by distillation