LAUSR

Production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and furfural (FF) from poppy stalks catalyzed by several metal chlorides (FeCl 3 , AlCl 3 , ZnCl 2 , CuCl 2 , CrCl 3 , CaCl 2 ) was studied in water medium under one-pot hydrothermal reaction conditions at 180 °C, with a 1/20 solid to liquid ratio, for 120 min. Poppy stalks were subjected to direct hydrothermal conversion without any pretreatment. The highest 5-HMF and FF yields were achieved with CuCl 2 , CrCl 3 , and AlCl 3 among the studied catalysts. The effect of catalyst dosage, reaction temperature, and reaction time were investigated to obtain optimal process conditions for HMF and FF production. Among the three catalysts, CuCl 2 had the extreme performance. Maximum 5-HMF and FF yields were obtained as 12.24% and 79.86%, respectively, under hydrothermal conditions with 0.03 M CuCl 2 at 200 °C for 30 min. Poppy stalks could be used as a raw material to produce sustainable chemicals to reduce CO 2 emission and energy consumption in biorefinery concept.