We have succeeded in reducing graphene oxide (GO) at milder conditions of 200 ℃ using microwave-hydrothermal approach. The reduced GO shows high catalytic activity on the conversion of sugars (e. g. glucose, fructose, etc.) into useful products such as 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (5-HMF) obtaining yield above 50%. Doping rGO with metal ion such as Fe and Cu further improved the catalytic activity. The effect on fructose as starting material was observed to be more significant than glucose.
The reaction mechanism was elucidated and the parameters were calculated by computer simulation. In addition, the proposed approach was applied to conversion of various biomass materials into useful platform chemicals and fuels in collaboration with universities in Southeast Asia and Europe. This approach also contributes to the attainment of many UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and the realization of Carbon Neutral Society by 2050.