Zirconyl schiff base complex-functionalized MCM-41 catalyzes dehydration of fructose into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in organic solvents

A novel catalyst, Zr(IV)-salen-MCM-41 with Lewis acid and base sites, was prepared and characterized by FT-IR, TG, XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, NH₃-TPD, and CO₂-TPD. The as-synthesized catalyst was applied to the conversion of fructose into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). In this work, the heterogeneous catalyst had a superior activity for the dehydration of fructose into HMF. 92.0% HMF yield was obtained from fructose at 140 °C for 4 h in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). In addition, the effect of reaction temperature, reaction time, solvents and catalyst dosages were also investigated in detail. Meanwhile, the Zr(IV)-salen-MCM-41 could be reused four times with a slight decrease in catalytic activity