Chemistry is an experimental science, and the best way to enjoy it and learn about it is performing experiments. category: Tetrahydrofurans. Introducing a new discovery about 2144-40-3, Name is (cis-Tetrahydrofuran-2,5-diyl)dimethanol
Simultaneous hydrogenation and acid-catalyzed conversion of the biomass-derived furans in solvents with distinct polarities
Furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), the two typical biomass-derived furans, can be converted into biofuels and value-added chemicals via hydrogenation or acid catalysis or both. The potential competition between the hydrogenation and the catalyzed-conversion of HMF and furfural has been investigated with Pd/C and Amberlyst 70 as the catalysts at 170C in various solvents. In water, the hydrogenation of HMF or the derivatives of HMF could take place, but the acid-catalyzed conversion of HMF to the diketones (2,5-hexanedione) was the dominant reaction pathway. On the contrary, with ethanol as the solvent, the full hydrogenation of HMF to 2,5-tetrahydrofurandimethanol was the dominant route, and the acid-catalyzed routes became insignificant. The efficiency for hydrogenation of HMF was much higher in ethanol than in water. As for furfural, its hydrogenation proceeded more efficiently in the polar solvents (i.e. ethanol, diethyl ether) than in non-polar solvents (i.e. toluene): a polar solvent tended to favor the hydrogenation of the furan ring in furfural over that of the carbonyl group in the same furfural.
Note that a catalyst decreases the activation energy for both the forward and the reverse reactions and hence accelerates both the forward and the reverse reactions.category: Tetrahydrofurans, you can also check out more blogs about2144-40-3
Reference：
Tetrahydrofuran – Wikipedia,
Tetrahydrofuran | (CH2)3CH2O – PubChem