TY - JOUR AB - The noncoordinating ionic liquid [bmim][OTf] is an effective and versatile solvent for the highyield dehydration of fructose to the platform chemical HMF over short reaction times. In contrast to literature reports, which report low yields for this transformation in ionic liquids (ILs) with noncoordinating anions, this contribution reveals that the water content is an essential parameter for an efficient reaction in ILs. Achieving the optimum amount of water can increase the yield dramatically by regulating the acidity of the catalyst and partially suppressing the side reaction caused by selfcondensation of HMF. Using acid catalysis in [bmim][OTf] with 3.5% water content, yields above 80% can be achieved at 100 °C in only 10 minutes, even at high (14%) fructose loading. These results suggest that [bmim][OTf] represents a superior medium for solvent extraction of HMF compared to halidebased ILs, allowing the option of isolation or further valorisation of the HMF formed. AU - Al,Ghatta A AU - Wilton-Ely,J AU - Hallett,J DO - 10.1002/cssc.201901529 EP - 4460 PY - 2019/// SN - 1864-5631 SP - 4452 TI - Rapid, highyield fructose dehydration to HMF in mixtures of water and the noncoordinating Ionic Liquid [bmim][OTf] T2 - ChemSusChem UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201901529 UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/72232 VL - 12 ER -