Molybdenum carbide anchored on glucose-derived carbon (β-Mo2C@C) as a bifunctional catalyst for conversion of fructose to 2,5-diformylfuran

Abstract

Direct conversion of biomass-based fructose to 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF) has attracted much attention in recent years. In this study, molybdenum carbide anchored on glucose-derived carbon (β-Mo₂C@C) was synthesized by a simple, green and economical method and was found to be highly active for production of DFF from 5-hydromethylfurfural (HMF) and fructose. DFF was obtained with high yields of 94.5% and 76.0% from aerobic oxidation of HMF and “one-pot” conversion of fructose under optimal reaction conditions, respectively. A probable mechanism involving Mo⁶⁺/Mo²⁺ redox cycles was proposed for β-Mo₂C@C-catalyzed oxidation of HMF to DFF according to the experimental and characterization results. Furthermore, the β-Mo₂C@C catalyst can be reused without much loss of catalytic activity, suggesting that β-Mo₂C@C is highly stable.