Holistic green synthesis at room temperature of MIL-53(Al) from aluminum slag and application for glucose conversion to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

Abstract

Herein, we report the first example of MOF synthesis employing aluminum slags as a waste resource. This synthesis was exclusively carried out from waste materials, under ambient conditions in water, thus aligning with the guiding principles of Green Chemistry. The resulting MIL-53(Al) material was further functionalized with SnO2 nanoparticles and tested as catalyst for the dehydration of glucose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), showing a tenfold increase in catalytic efficiency compared to unsupported SnO2.