Biomass into chemicals: green chemical conversion of carbohydrates into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in ionic liquids

Abstract

Biomass is one of the few resources that have the potential to meet the challenges of sustainable and green energy systems. Already numerous valuable chemicals are derived from renewable resources; among these, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), plays a vital role, because it can be obtained from carbohydrates. HMF is a versatile platform chemical for the synthesis of a wide range of industrially important materials, including biofuels. HMF is the key intermediate to bridge the gap between biomass resources and biochemicals. Recent studies have shown that all of the components of biomass are soluble in ionic liquids. Ionic liquids have undergone a remarkable process of evolution for carbohydrate conversion and several new ionic liquids have been reported. This review mainly focuses on the production of HMF from carbohydrates by using ionic liquids as solvents as well as catalysts and their reuse.