Preparation of 2,5-Diformylfuran through Selective Electro-Catalytic Oxidation with Modified Metallic Electrodes

In recent years, the production of furan derivatives from biomass has become an exciting research field, because it contributes to building one of the major routes for achieving sustainable energy supply and the production of alternative chemicals. As one of the most important furan derivatives, 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF) is a multifunctional organic intermediate with the prospective application potentiality in the future. Although it has been proven very useful, DFF is still not easy to be obtained in industry. Up to now, there are several catalytic methods available for the preparation of DFF, but mainly concentrated on chemical catalysis, which are prone to bring about serious environmental pollution. Preparation method for producing DFF through electric-catalytic oxidation, taking the advantages of the electrochemical reaction, is a kind of clean oxidation technology. Main reaction routes and mechanisms of the electric-catalytic oxidation technology applied to the preparation of DFF were introduced; its technical advantages as well as existing problems were also elaborated; and combined with its research status, the technology of preparation of DFF through selective electric-catalytic oxidation was prospected. In a word, the introduced method could provide a potentially feasible transformation path for the industrial production of DFF through this kind of clean oxidation technology, instead of common chemical catalysis.