Metal Free Acid Base Catalyst in the Selective Synthesis of 2,5-Diformylfuran from Hydroxymethylfurfural, Fructose, and Glucose

A novel metal free acid–base (CC-SO3H-NH2) catalyst was synthesized by introducing acidic −SO3H, −COOH, and silyloxypropylamine (−OSiCH2CH2CH2NH2) functional groups on glucose derived carbocatalyst. The catalyst was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analyses. Superior catalytic activity was shown by the catalyst toward one-pot synthesis of DFF using molecular oxygen as the sole oxidant. The catalyst was found to be highly selective in synthesis of 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF) from hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), fructose, and, more importantly, from glucose with excellent yields. Moreover, the catalyst was easily recycled and reused without any significant loss in its catalytic activity.