Sulfonated Areca Nut-Husk-Derived Sustainable Heterogeneous Catalysts: Studies of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Production, Reaction Kinetics, Thermodynamics, and Eco-Friendliness

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide A new sulfonated areca-nut-husk-derived carbon-based sustainable, eco-friendly, and solid heterogeneous acid catalyst has been developed for the conversion of carbohydrates into fuel precursor compounds such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) under biphasic solvent systems of water and toluene. Different characterization techniques, including XRD, FT-IR, FESEM-EDS, TEM, XPS, TPD, and BET analyses, were employed to thoroughly investigate the structure, functional groups, surface morphology, elemental composition, acidity, and surface area of the prepared catalysts. SAH-300 and SAH-500 exhibit mesoporous properties, possessing total acidities of 10.23 and 4.5 mmol g −1, respectively. The amorphous SAH-300 exhibited remarkable efficiency in converting various carbohydrates into HMF. It achieved a 96% yield from fructose, 27% from glucose, 73% from sucrose and 78% from xylose. SAH-300 exhibited efficient reusability for at least four cycles without any significant reduction in product yields. The success of Seldon's test and gram-scale synthesis confirmed the heterogeneity and efficiency of the catalyst. The designed catalytic protocol for the environmental assessment of high eco-score and low E-factor values obeyed the green chemistry principles. In addition, the reaction followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics with thermodynamically endothermic and non-spontaneous behavior. Implementing such protocols not only advances scientific research but also supports the development of more sustainable and economically viable chemical processes.