Direct conversion of glucose into acetylfurans via C−C bond cleavage over Cs promoted Mo-based catalyst

Abstract

Furans are important scaffolds with applications in pharmaceuticals, polymers synthesis and biofuels. The direct production of new types of furans from glucose is therefore significant but remains a great challenge. Herein, we report a facile strategy to produce acetylfurans directly from glucose over MoCs-SiO₂, with an increase in yield from 35.8 % to 81.4 % compared with pristine Mo-SiO₂ due to the facilitated C−C bond cleavage of glucose. The incorporation of Cs improved the dispersion of Mo species, induced the formation of partially reduced Mo, increased the Lewis acidity and glucose adsorption of the catalyst, and thus shifting the reaction selectivity from C−C coupling to cleavage. Kinetic studies further demonstrated the positive contribution of Cs as a promoter in lowering the activation energy of C−C bond cleavage. This study provides a promising strategy to broaden the range of furanic compounds derived from glucose for product-oriented biorefineries.