A water-tolerant C16H3PW11CrO39 catalyst for the efficient conversion of monosaccharides into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in a micellar system

A water-tolerant cetyltrimethyl ammonium salt of transition metal (Cr(III)) substituted polyoxometalate C16H3PW11CrO39 (C16 = cetyltrimethyl ammonium) has been designed and used for the conversion of fructose and glucose into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). The catalyst shows high conversion efficiency (90.3% and 84.2%, respectively) and high yields (40.6% and 35.2%, respectively) due to its dual acidity and hydrophobicity. The catalyst is stable during an aqueous-phase reaction and can be recycled via a simple separation process.