A choline chloride/DMSO solvent for the direct synthesis of diformylfuran from carbohydrates in the presence of heteropolyacids

Here we demonstrate that choline chloride has a beneficial effect on the direct conversion of fructose and inulin to DFF in the presence of Mo–V containing Keggin heteropolyacid. ChCl has two beneficial effects: (1) the enhancement of the conversion of fructose to HMF and (2) a higher conversion of HMF to DFF. A DFF yield of 84% was obtained from fructose under optimized conditions. In this mixture inulin was also converted to DFF.