Analysis of HMF and furfural in hydrolyzed lignocellulosic biomass by HPLC-DAD-based method using FDCA as internal...

HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural), a compound that occurs naturally in food, is derived from the dehydration of monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) in products subjected to high-temperature treatments or to aging processes. HMF can be obtained by acid-catalyzed dehydration of lignocellulosic biomasses such as sugarcane bagasse and other agricultural residues. In this work, analytical quantification of HMF and furfural (the main co-product) was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). The official method employs isocratic elution with a mobile phase composed of water and acetonitrile at a ratio of 80:20 (v/v). The analytical method proposed here was developed using 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) as internal standard, for the first time, with 0.01 mol L^-1 trisodium citrate and ultrapure water as the mobile phase, adjusted to pH 2.5. The acidity of the mobile phase was required to avoid FDCA deprotonation. Good peak resolution and selectivity were obtained, without differences in the retention times of the analytes present in the standard solutions used to obtain the analytical curve and in the aqueous and organic phases from the synthesis of HMF using lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysis. The method complies with the current recommendations of AOAC regarding validation parameters.•The proposed HPLC method improves peak selectivity and resolution.•The method is suitable for acid sample media, such as aqueous and organic hydrolysis phases.•2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) was used as internal standard.