Synthesis of Furandicarboxylic Acid Esters From Nonfood Feedstocks Without Concomitant Levulinic Acid Formation

Abstract

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a versatile intermediate in biomass conversion pathways. However, the notoriously unstable nature of HMF imposes challenges to design selective routes to chemicals such as furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA). Here, a new strategy for obtaining furans is presented, bypassing the formation of the unstable HMF. Instead of starting with glucose/fructose and thus forming HMF as an intermediate, the new route starts from uronic acids, which are abundantly present in many agro residues such as sugar beet pulp, potato pulp, and citrus peels. Conversion of uronic acids, via ketoaldonic acids, to the intermediate formylfuroic acid (FFA) esters, and subsequently to FDCA esters, proceeds without formation of levulinic acid or insoluble humins. This new route provides an attractive strategy to valorize agricultural waste streams and a route to furanic building blocks without the co-production of levulinic acid or humins.