Conversion of cellulose to HMF in ionic liquid catalyzed by bifunctional ionic liquids.

A new kind of bifunctional ionic liquid catalysts was synthesized to degrade microcrystalline cellulose in [BMIM]Cl at atmospheric pressure. The effects of reaction temperature, amount of catalysts, reaction time, ionic liquid purity and cellulose concentration on conversion were investigated. At low temperature cellulose can be degraded with being heated in [BMIM]Cl by oil bath. Among the as-synthesized catalysts, Cr([PSMIM]HSO4)3 exhibited the best performance. The HMF yield of 53% and TRS yield of 94% can be achieved at 120 °C in [BMIM]Cl for 5 h over 0.05 g Cr([PSMIM]HSO4)3/2.0 g [BMIM]Cl with 95% cellulose conversion.