The excellent performance of amorphous Cr2O3, SnO2, SrO and graphene oxide-ferric oxide in glucose conversion into 5-HMF

Amorphous Cr2O3, SnO2 and SrO presented an excellent performance in the conversion of glucose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), and 5-HMF yields achieved 84%, 81% and 99%, however, the calcined metal oxides almost completely lost the catalytic activities. Although Fe2O3 exhibited yew poor catalytic activity, the graphene oxide-Fe2O3 (GO-Fe2O3) displayed a better performance in catalytic glucose conversion to 5-HMF (86% yield) in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([EMIM]Br). The plausible mechanisms of glucose conversion to 5-HMF over amorphous Cr2O3, SnO2, SrO and GO-Fe2O3 were proposed. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.