The aqueous catalytic dehydration of fructose to HMF over Y zeolite in a DMSO water reaction phase under microwave irradiation is followed by subsequent product extraction into an organic phase for optimal HMF yields through reduced humin formation.

Zeolites are promising materials for volatile organic compound (VOC) adsorption and catalytic oxidation, where tuning their structure via defect engineering can enhance adsorption capacity and active metal dispersion. In this study, a concentration-sensitive chelation strategy using diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) was developed to achieve moderate dealumination for Beta and Y zeolites. For Y zeolite, 0.1 M DTPA treatment increased the toluene adsorption capacity from 59 to 110 mg/g. After platinum (Pt) loading, both DTPA-modified Beta- and Y-based catalysts showed improved toluene oxidation efficiency compared to their unmodified counterparts. Remarkably, the Y-DTPA-0.01-Pt catalyst achieved 90% toluene conversion at 150 °C with CO₂ selectivity above 90%. DRIFTS and H₂-TPR results confirmed that moderate dealumination by DTPA generated silanol defects in zeolite Y that strongly anchored Pt²⁺ in a highly dispersed form and suppressed PtO formation. Severe dealumination using 0.1 M DTPA created larger defects that favored the aggregation of Pt⁰ clusters whilst causing significant loss in the micropores, thus reducing the Pt loading content and catalytic activity. This work demonstrates a simple and effective approach to optimize zeolite-based catalysts by controlling defect formation through controllable chelation, offering new insights into VOC abatement via tailored support design.

Biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a versatile and key platform chemical critical to underpinning a sustainable chemical industry based on biomass. This study explores the innovative use of zeolites and hierarchical zeolites, derived through alkaline desilication, as catalytic materials for fructose dehydration. Functionalised with sulfonic acid sites, these materials demonstrate elevated catalytic performance, particularly maximising HMF yields. The increased mesoporosity facilitates higher sulfonic acid incorporation, leading to improved fructose conversion. However, yields are sensitive to reaction duration, with longer time negatively impacting the selectivity towards HMF due to further in-series reactions. Optimal results were achieved under microwave irradiation in a biphasic medium, achieving an HMF selectivity of ∼73% at fructose conversion of ∼88% in just 5 min at 170 °C, emphasising energy efficiency and catalyst accessibility. The best catalyst modifications lead to a reduction in the activation energy of fructose conversion by approximately 35% relative to the uncatalysed process, in conjunction with significant improvements in process sustainability, which align with the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), and Climate Action (SDG 13).