Intensification of the oxidation of HMF using a Co/Mn/Br catalyst in a continuous flow microreactor

The oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), an important platform chemical from biomass feedstock, can produce value-added chemicals such as 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF) and 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). In this research, the homogeneous oxidation of HMF was performed using a Co/Mn/Br catalyst with air as the oxidant. We have investigated the reaction performance in both (semi-)batch reactors and a microreactor operated under slug flow. HMF conversion in (semi-)batch reactors was shown to be dependent on the oxygen supply rate, indicating significant mass transfer limitations. Product yield could be improved considerably under similar conditions in microreactors due to improved mass transfer rates