Optimization of diformylfuran production from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural via catalytic oxidation in a packed-bed continuous flow reactor

Abstract

DFF's diverse applications in pharmaceuticals, fungicides, and polymer synthesis motivate the development of efficient production methods. This study reports the continuous-flow synthesis of DFF from 5-HMF in a packed-bed reactor. The Box–Behnken design coupled with response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the reaction parameters (catalyst, solvent, temperature, oxygen flow rate, catalyst amount) for DFF yield. Ru/Al₂O₃ in toluene proved to be the most effective catalyst–solvent combination. The optimal conditions for DFF production were identified as: 140 °C reaction temperature, 10 ml min⁻¹ oxygen flow rate, and 0.15 g catalyst loading. Under these conditions, a DFF yield of 84.2% was achieved.