Critical advances in separation and purification of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

Abstract

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) is a versatile platform chemical that can be derived from renewable biomass using homogeneous or heterogeneous acid catalysts. However, efficiently separating and purifying 5-HMF from reaction mixtures remains a critical challenge for its high-value conversion from renewable biomass. To address this challenge, various separation methods have been developed, including distillation, adsorption, liquid-liquid extraction, supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, and integrated separation processes. This review summarizes and discusses recent advancements in the separation and purification of 5-HMF from reaction solutions. It evaluates key parameters such as adsorption capacity, separation selectivity, recovery efficiency, and their influencing factors. The liquid-liquid extraction using biphasic solvents has proven to be a simple, cost-effective, and efficient approach. The ionic liquid extraction, deep eutectic solvent extraction, supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, and integrated separation technologies (e.g., liquid-liquid extraction combined with vacuum distillation, distillation integrated with adsorption) are discussed. This review also provides insight into the mechanisms of different separation methods, which may contribute to the development of new processes for the purification of 5-HMF. This review aims to provide a theoretical basis for the future large-scale, efficient, and economic production of high-purity 5-HMF.