RT Journal Article
T1 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and furfural production in biphasic systems: kinetic studies of autocatalytic operation and using EDTA as thermoresponsive catalyst
A1 Thanheuser, Nico
A1 Püschel, Sebastian
A1 Andreas J. Vorholt, 
A1 Serrano, Jesús Esteban
AB 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural are highly praised chemicals in the biofuel context, derived from fructose (Fruc) and xylose (Xyl), respectively. Here a H2O/MIBK biphasic system is used as a green approach to extract in situ the furans generated in each reaction, thereby mitigating undesired reactions of rehydration and/or self-condensation to humins. The production of HMF and furfural is performed through two approaches: an autocatalytic reaction and using a thermoresponsive catalyst, hence facilitating recycling. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) was identified as a thermoresponsive organic acid with high recyclability (>97 % catalytic activity recovery after 5 cycles and regeneration) acting as homogeneous catalyst under reaction conditions. After proving the lack of mass transfer limitations and considering the reaction networks and mass balances for HMF and Fur production, macrokinetic models were proposed to describe the two reactions in a biphasic medium. In the autocatalytic regime, the values of the activation energy of the dehydration of Fruc to HMF and Xyl to furfural were 155.72 ± 12.84 kJ mol−1 and 138.09 ± 7.45 kJ mol−1, respectively, whereas in the presence of EDTA as catalyst, the dehydration of Fruc to HMF showed a value of 139.12 ± 8.40 kJ mol−1 and that of Xyl to furfural of 130.33 ± 9.49 kJ mol−1.
PB Elsevier
YR 2026
FD 2026-04-15
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/129743
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/129743
LA eng
NO N. Thanheuser, S. Püschel, A.J. Vorholt, J. Esteban. 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and furfural production in biphasic systems: kinetic studies of autocatalytic operation and using EDTA as thermoresponsive catalyst. Fuel (2026), 410, 137934
NO Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities
NO Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities
NO Max Planck Society
NO Hermann Neuhaus Foundation
DS Docta Complutense
RD 18 abr 2026