Efficient Production of 5-Hydroxymethyl-2-Furfurylamine from Expired Beverage Waste via Chemo-Biological Cascade Reaction for Bridging Chemocatalysis and Biocatalysis

In this study, expired beverage (EB) waste was converted into 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfurylamine (HMFA) through a chemoenzymatic cascade in a malonic acid–choline chloride (MA:ChCl) deep eutectic solvent (DES) system. Under the optimized conditions, HMF was produced from expired beverage waste at 160 °C for 60 min using an MA:ChCl-to-EB mass ratio of 1:5. A recombinant Escherichia coli strain co-expressing pyruvate decarboxylase and the engineered ω-transaminase LF was constructed and used to convert EB-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) into HMFA with a yield of 96.6%. This biological amination of HMF can be conducted under mild conditions via amination (37 °C, 12 h), while reducing the required D-alanine loading (from D-alanine/HMF = 16/1 to D-alanine/HMF = 4/1, based on molar ratio). This two-step chemoenzymatic cascade provides a promising route for producing high-value biofuran compounds from food waste.