Efficient Oxidation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid by Nanocopper Oxide Catalysts

The efficient oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is achieved using the nano-CuO catalyst in a NaClO solution. This study reveals that the particle size of the nano-CuO can be effectively regulated by adjusting the calcination temperature, thereby significantly improving the catalytic performance of HMF oxidation to the desired product FDCA. Notably, the CuO-100 catalyst with the smallest particle size exhibits superior HMF conversion and maximum FDCA yield (96.0%). Moreover, even with a reduced NaClO/HMF molar ratio of 7.3:1 to improve the utilization of NaClO, the 94.7% yield of FDCA is obtained on the CuO-100 catalyst.