Selective Catalytic Oxidation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural to Produce 2,5-Diformylfuran Over Nitrogen Doped Porous Carbons

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) serves as a versatile platform compound bridging the realms of biomass resources and the fine chemicals industry, with its selective oxidation holding significant value. In this study, nitrogen-doped porous carbon (NDPC) materials were synthesized by using urea as the nitrogen source and sucrose as the carbon source via a hard-template approach. These materials were subsequently employed in the selective oxidation of HMF to produce 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF) under specific oxygen pressure conditions. The morphology and structure of NDPC were elucidated through SEM, XPS and XRD analyses. The impact of varying the molar ratio of N/C and nitrogen sources on the catalyst was examined, as well as the effects of different reaction conditions on HMF conversion and DFF selectivity were investigated. The results demonstrated an impressive 81.0% HMF conversion and a remarkable 97.9% DFF selectivity under the suitable conditions. Furthermore, the catalyst exhibited consistent catalytic performance throughout the recycling experiments. Graphical Abstract