Chromium Oxide-modified Mesoporous Zirconium Dioxide: Efficient Heterogeneous Catalyst for the Synthesis of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural.

A highly efficient carbohydrate conversion to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) is a promising method to achieve green and sustainable development. However, most currently reported strategies are energy consuming, and the 5-HMF yield is relatively lower in the aqueous phase. Herein, a facile method is reported to obtain effective Cr/ZrO catalysts with high acidity and their catalytic performances were investigated for catalyzing fructose to 5-HMF at different temperatures and times.