Catalytic conversions in water: a novel carbonylation reaction catalysed by palladium trisulfonated triphenylphosphine complexes

Abstract

The renewable basic chemical 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is selectively carbonylated to the new compound 5-formylfuran-2-acetic acid using a water-soluble palladium complex of trisulfonated triphenylphosphine as the catalyst in an acidic aqueous medium at 70 °C and 5 bar CO pressure; when hydrogen iodide is the acid component, the reaction follows a different course and HMF is selectively reduced to 5-methylfurfural.