Integrated chemo-enzymatic production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from glucose.

Sweets for my sweet: The production and isolation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in high yield and purity is demonstrated by using a combination of glucose-fructose isomerization with sweetzyme in wet tetraethylammonium bromide (TEAB) and clean fructose dehydration to HMF catalyzed by using HNO3 under moderate conditions, which allow the reuse of any unreacted glucose and TEAB.