Catalytic aerobic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2, 5-furandicarboxylic acid using Co-Mn/N-C catalysts in aqueous media

Abstract

Aerobic oxidation of (5-hydroxymethylfurfural) HMF can yield numerous furan-based chemicals, and enhancing the selectivity for specific products poses a significant challenge. In this study, a novel non-noble bimetallic supported on N-doped carbon (Co-Mn/N-C) was designed and synthesized, and various characterization techniques including XRD, BET, TEM, XPS and VSM were employed to investigate the catalyst's structure and properties. Catalytic testing studies demonstrated that Co-Mn/N-C exhibits superior catalytic performance in the selective oxidation of HMF to 2, 5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) in aqueous media, outperforming both Co/N-C and Mn/N-C catalysts. Nearly 100% HMF conversion and 98.3% selectivity towards FDCA were reached using Co-Mn/N-C catalyst at 150 ℃ with Na₂CO₃ (0.5 mmol) as a base. Furthermore, the Co-Mn/N-C catalyst exhibited good stability, maintaining its catalytic activity throughout the recycling experiments. This enduring performance is attributed to the robust interaction between the metals and the nitrogen-carbon materials.