A series of silicates have been prepared by using mixed templates including Pluronic P123, polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), or cholesterol, and doping of zirconium and phosphotungstic acid in a sol-gel process. Various characterizations reveal the synthetic silicates have flake-like morphologies and good porosities. Some of silicates contain zirconium, while others incorporate both zirconium and phosphotungstic acid. The conversions of D-(-)-fructose catalyzed by synthetic silicates show 5-(hydroxymethyl)-furfural as main product, while methyl 2-furoate and sucrose are by-products. The structure-activity relationship of catalyst and effects of solvent and temperature are discussed. Moreover, one silicate exhibits good recycling potential, whose metal center could be recovered gradually. The catalytic mechanism is proposed too. When facing energy challenges nowadays, this study may provide some new insights into conversion of fructose for developing sustainable energies. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.