An
ion-pair-bound homogeneous catalytic
system, and a method for synthesizing 5-
hydroxymethylfurfural. The homogeneous catalytic
system comprises a
quaternary ammonium salt, a homogeneous acid and water. The method comprises: mixing
fructose with an
ion-pair-bound homogeneous catalytic
system to form a homogeneous catalytic
reaction system; reacting the homogeneous catalytic
reaction system under reduced pressure, and after the completion of the reaction, adding a
quenching agent to quench the reaction; extracting the obtained reaction mixture; and then respectively separating 5-
hydroxymethylfurfural and the
ion-pair-bound homogeneous catalytic system from a light phase and a heavy phase formed after the extraction. The reaction can achieve the simple, safe and efficient synthesis of 5-
hydroxymethylfurfural under mild conditions; the conversion rate of the
raw material fructose is high; the yield of the target product, i.e., 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, is high; and the separation operation can be conveniently conducted. Moreover, the used ion-pair-bound homogeneous catalytic system that is formed from a
quaternary ammonium salt, a homogeneous acid and water is convenient to recover and reuse. Therefore, the method is
environmentally friendly and economical, and has broad application prospects.