The transformation of biomass, a carbon resource presenting a huge potential to produce valuable chemicals, requires the search for sustainable catalytic routes. This work proposes the microwave-assisted oxidation of biomass -derived substrates, such as glycerol and the furfural derivatives 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) and 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxylic acid (HFCA), using the C-scorpionate dichloro-gold(III) complex [AuCl2(κ2-Tpm)]Cl (Tpm = HCpz3; pz = pyrazol-1-yl) as a catalyst, as prepared and supported on graphene, in solvent-free conditions. The unprecedented application of a mechanochemical procedure (in a planetary ball mill, in solid state) to synthesize a C-scorpionate complex, the [AuCl2(κ2-Tpm)]Cl, is disclosed. The immobilization of [AuCl2(κ2-Tpm)]Cl on graphene was performed using different methods, including some (e.g., microwave irradiation and liquid assisted grinding) for the first time. The structural properties and the performance of the prepared catalytic materials are presented and discussed.
Keywords: C-scorpionate complex; catalysis; furfural; glycerol; graphene; heterogenization; mechanochemistry; microwaves; sustainable process.