Novamont S.p.a.

Anna Di Martino

Catia Bastioli

Luigi Capuzzi

Adriano Ferrari

Giuseppina Carotenuto

The present invention relates to a process for the synthesis of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) comprising the steps of: 1) dehydrating at least one saccharide selected from monosaccharides having 6 carbon atoms and disaccharides, oligosaccharides or polysaccharides formed from units having 6 carbon atoms or mixtures thereof in the presence of at least one quaternary ammonium salt RR'NX; in which: &#x2014;R, which is the same or different, represents a C-Csubstituted or unsubstituted alkyl group; &#x2014;R&#x2032; belongs to the group consisting of: hydrogen, C-Csubstituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, monocyclic substituted or unsubstituted aryl group; &#x2014;Xrepresents an anion selected from chloride, bromide, iodide, fluoride, hydroxide, BFand PF; at a temperature of between 80 and 120&#xb0; C., removing water from the reaction medium (dehydration stage) and obtaining a reaction mixture comprising the quaternary ammonium salt, HMF, any unreacted saccharide and having a water content of less than 30% by weight relative to the weight of the product HMF; 2) separating HMF from the said reaction mixture (separation stage).

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Novara, Italy

Anna Di Martino