One-pot tandem conversion of monosaccharides and disaccharides to 2,5-diformylfuran using a Ru nanoparticle-supported H-beta catalyst

The direct, one-pot catalytic conversion of carbohydrates (especially sucrose and glucose) to 2,5-diformylfuran is a challenging task. The development of a bi-functional sustainable heterogeneous catalyst is crucial to achieve high selectivity for the desired product 2,5-diformylfuran in this direct conversion process. In this study, tandem, one-pot, two-step direct conversion of carbohydrates into 2,5-diformylfuran is reported using a Ru nanoparticle-supported H-beta catalyst. This carbohydrate conversion process is characterized by the abundance and low cost of reactants with no need for 5-hydroxymethylfurfural separation or purification. Molecular oxygen (1 atm) is used as an oxidant. No external oxidizing reagent is required to carry out this transformation. A combination of H-beta and Ru nanoparticles successfully affords the direct synthesis of 2,5-diformylfuran from carbohydrates via isomerization, dehydration, and successive selective oxidation under one-pot conditions. This one-pot tandem reaction protocol affords 2,5-diformylfuran with yields of 80% and 67% from fructose and sucrose, respectively. Moreover, the catalyst is easily recycled and reused without any loss of catalytic activity.