The effect of heterogeneous acid–base catalysis on conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural into a cyclopentanone derivative

The effect of heterogeneous acid–base catalysis on conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 3-hydroxymethylcyclopentanone (HCPN) was investigated. It was demonstrated that acidic metal oxides, in particular Ta2O5, significantly enhanced the yield of HCPN due to their moderate Lewis acidity.