Abstract: Methods of making reduced derivatives of hydroxymethyl furfural using metal catalysts are described. The derivatives may have tetrahydrofuran or furan nucleus with alkoxymethyl ether or ester moieties on the 5? carbon and methanol on the 2? carbon. Suitable metal catalyst include Raney nickel, a nickel catalyst with a zirconium promoter, a chromite catalyst with a barium, a palladium catalyst, such as palladium on carbon, or a ruthenium catalyst. Also provided are a new class of compounds, which are n-alkoxy hexane diols (i.e., 1,2 or 1,5 hexane diol ethers) and methods of making the same by reduction of furan or tetrahydrofuran derivatives.

Abstract: Methods of making reduced derivatives of hydroxymethyl furfural using metal catalysts are described. The derivatives may have tetrahydrofuran or furan nucleus with alkoxymethyl ether or ester moieties on the 5? carbon and methanol on the 2? carbon. Suitable metal catalyst include Raney nickel, a nickel catalyst with a zirconium promoter, a chromite catalyst with a barium, a palladium catalyst, such as palladium on carbon, or a ruthenium catalyst. Also provided are a new class of compounds, which are n-alkoxy hexane diols (i.e., 1,2 or 1,5 hexane diol ethers) and methods of making the same by reduction of furan or tetrahydrofuran derivatives.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for making HMF? or a derivative of HMF by dehydrating one or more hexose sugars in a reduced oxygen environment, in another, related aspect, a method for improving the stability and resistance to degradation of an HMF product Involves adding one or more antioxidants to the HMF product.

Abstract: Methods of making reduced derivatives of hydroxymethyl furfural using metal catalysts are described. The derivatives may have tetrahydrofuran or furan nucleus with alkoxymethyl ether or ester moieties on the 5? carbon and methanol on the 2? carbon. Suitable metal catalyst include Raney nickel, a nickel catalyst with a zirconium promoter, a chromite catalyst with a barium, a palladium catalyst, such as palladium on carbon, or a ruthenium catalyst. Also provided are a new class of compounds, which are n-alkoxy hexane diols (i.e., 1,2 or 1,5 hexane diol ethers) and methods of making the same by reduction of furan or tetrahydrofuran derivatives.

Abstract: The present invention relates to catalytic synthesis of furan derivatives from alkoxymethylfurfural ethers or acyloxymethylfurfural esters. More particularly, the invention pertains to furan derivatives obtained by use of a multifunctional catalyst system to carry out both hydrogenation of furan starting material and hydrolysis of the reduced furan derivative in a single reaction. The process allows recovering and recycling of alcohol or acid from the reaction product.

Abstract: A process is described for converting HMF to FDCA, comprising dissolving a quantity of HMF in water to form an aqueous solution including HMF, combining the aqueous solution including HMF with an oxygen source in the presence of a homogeneous metal salt catalyst, but in the substantial absence of any solvent for the HMF and the homogeneous metal salt catalyst other than water, and under conditions which are effective for oxidizing HMF in the presence of the catalyst to form FDCA, and then recovering an FDCA precipitate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for making HMF? or a derivative of HMF by dehydrating one or more hexose sugars in a reduced oxygen environment, in another, related aspect, a method for improving the stability and resistance to degradation of an HMF product Involves adding one or more antioxidants to the HMF product.

Abstract: A process is described for producing an isohexide wherein an hexitol or a combination of hexitols is continuously dehydrated in the presence of an acid catalyst under vacuum using a thin film evaporator.

Abstract: A process is described wherein a feed of a six-carbon carbohydrate-containing material or of a furanic dehydration product from a six-carbon carbohydrate-containing material or of a combination of these is supplied to a reactor in a controlled manner over time, and the feed is acid-hydrolyzed to produce levulinic acid. In certain embodiments, derivatives of the levulinic acid are prepared.

Abstract: A process is described for producing an isohexide wherein an hexitol or a combination of hexitols is continuously dehydrated in the presence of an acid catalyst under vacuum using a thin film evaporator.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for making dehydration products from an aqueous sugars solution including pentoses, hexoses or both, for example, an aqueous high fructose corn syrup solution, or from an aqueous solution of one or more of the alcohols of such pentoses and hexoses, for example, from an aqueous sorbitol solution, by an acid-catalyzed dehydration using substituted sulfonic acids solubilized in the aqueous sugars or sugar alcohols solution.

Abstract: Processes are described for producing furfural from a mixture of pentoses and hexoses, by dehydrating and cyclizing pentoses to provide furfural using a water-soluble acid at elevated temperatures in the presence of a low-boiling, water-immiscible organic solvent, such as toluene, which is effective for extracting the furfural into an organic phase portion. In certain embodiments, a fermentation step occurs prior to the dehydration step to convert hexoses in the mixed pentoses and hexoses to ethanol while conserving pentoses therein for making furfural.

Abstract: A process is described for producing an isohexide wherein an hexitol or a combination of hexitols is continuously dehydrated in the presence of an acid catalyst under vacuum using a thin film evaporator.

Abstract: Described herein are improved methods for the preparation of 5- and 6-membered cyclic mono and diesters of sugar alcohols and anhydrosugar alcohols by reaction with an organic acid RCOOH over a solid acidic substrate. The process is adaptable to a continuous process for simultaneously making and separating the cyclic esters from the sugar alcohols and anhydrosugar alcohols under mild conditions using the solid acid substrate as both the catalyst and a chromatographic bed for separation. The reactions are performed at mild temperatures of 70° C. to 100° C. and the formation of the cyclic esters is nearly quantitative. Also described is a method for making 5- and 6-membered cyclic mono and diesters of sugar alcohols and anhydrosugar alcohols using microwave irradiation in the presence of the organic acid.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for making dehydration products from an aqueous sugars solution including pentoses, hexoses or both, for example, an aqueous high fructose corn syrup solution, or from an aqueous solution of one or more of the alcohols of such pentoses and hexoses, for example, from an aqueous sorbitol solution, by an acid-catalyzed dehydration using substituted sulfonic acids solubilized in the aqueous sugars or sugar alcohols solution.

Abstract: Described herein are single step methods of making various classes of alkylamine derivatives of furan and tetrahydrofuran by simultaneous contact of a sugar with H2, an acid catalyst and hydrogenation catalyst in the presence of an alkylamide solvent. The hydrogenation catalyst is a heterogeneous catalyst comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of Pt, Pd, and nickel. The acid catalysts may be homogeneous mineral acid or a heterogeneous acid catalyst on substrate. In a preferred practice the two catalysts are provided on a common heterogeneous bifunctional support. Using similar combinations of acid and hydrogenation catalysts, there is also described single step methods for making furandimethanol by simultaneously contacting a hexose with the two separate catalysts in the presence of H2 in an aprotic solvent, such as dimethylformamide.

Abstract: A process is described wherein a feed of a six-carbon carbohydrate-containing material or of a furanic dehydration product from a six-carbon carbohydrate-containing material or of a combination of these is supplied to a reactor in a controlled manner over time up to a desired combined or total feed level, and the feed is acid-hydrolyzed to produce levulinic acid. In certain embodiments, derivatives of the levulinic acid are prepared.

Abstract: Hydroxymethylfurfural is made from an aqueous hexose sugar solution, especially from a high fructose corn syrup product. By rapidly heating the sugar solution to the elevated temperatures involved as well as rapidly cooling the resultant product mixture, a limited per-pass conversion to HMF is obtained; correspondingly, however, the overall exposure of the HMF that is formed to acidic, elevated temperature conditions is also limited, so that byproducts are reduced. Separation and recovery of the products is simplified, and levels of HMF and other hexose dehydration products known to inhibit ethanol production by fermentation are reduced in the residual sugars product, to an extent whereby the residual sugars product is suited to be directly fermented to ethanol or for other uses.

Abstract: Methods of making reduced derivatives of hydroxymethyl furfural using metal catalysts are described. The derivatives may have tetrahydrofuran or furan nucleus with alkoxymethyl ether or ester moieties on the 5? carbon and methanol on the 2? carbon. Suitable metal catalyst include Raney nickel, a nickel catalyst with a zirconium promoter, a chromite catalyst with a barium, a palladium catalyst, such as palladium on carbon, or a ruthenium catalyst. Also provided are a new class of compounds, which are n-alkoxy hexane diols (i.e., 1,2 or 1,5 hexane diol ethers) and methods of making the same by reduction of furan or tetrahydrofuran derivatives.

Abstract: A method for alkylation of an anhydrosugar compound in which a dialkyl carbonate is reacted with an anhydrosugar compound in the presence of a solid phase basic catalyst. Typical anhydrosugars are isosorbide.