Electrogenerated acid as an efficient catalyst for the preparation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

A new method for the synthesis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) with high yields in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is presented. By using constant-current electrolysis more than 90% of sucrose or fructose was converted to HMF at room temperature in DMSO in the presence of traces of water.