LAUSR

Abstract Methods for the conversion of carbohydrates into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), which is an important platform chemical, have been attracted extensive attention. In present study, Sn modified ionic liquid polymer (PIL-Sn) was prepared by one-pot polymerization of imidazole and epichlorohydrin, and utilized as a novel and efficient catalyst for 5-HMF production. The optimal 5-HMF yield of 51.1% with 99% conversion was obtained from glucose catalyzed by PIL-Sn in dimethyl sulfoxide at 130 °C with reaction time of 1 h. This catalytic system can also be applied for the transformation of other carbohydrates with satisfactory yields. The mechanism of PIL-Sn-catalyzed conversion of glucose to 5-HMF has been studied using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The DFT results showed that the five-coordinated SnCl5- as a preferred species played an important role in the isomerization of glucose to fructose. This research provides a new strategy to design efficient catalysts for 5-HMF synthesis.