2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid production via catalytic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural: Catalysts, processes and reaction mechanism

Abstract Biomass conversion to value-added chemicals has received tremendous attention for solving global warming issues and fossil fuel depletion. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a key bio-based platform molecule to produce many useful organic chemicals by oxidation, hydrogenation, polymerization, and ring-opening reactions. Among all derivatives, the oxidation product 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is a promising alternative to petroleum-based terephthalic acid for the synthesis of biodegradable plastics. This review analytically discusses the recent progress in the thermocatalytic, electrocatalytic, and photocatalytic oxidation of HMF into FDCA, including catalyst screening, synthesis processes, and reaction mechanism. Rapid fundamental advances may be possible in non-precious metal and metal-free catalysts that are highly efficient under the base-free conditions, and external field-assisted processes like electrochemical or photoelectrochemical cells.