An efficient process was developed for the conversion of glucose into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in the relatively low-toxicity and inexpensive catalytic system of chromium(III) chloride (CrCl3 center dot 6H(2)O) catalyst and tetraethylammonium chloride (TEAC) ionic liquid. An HMF yield of 71.3% was achieved at 130 degrees C for only 10 min under conventional oil-bath heating. The TEAC/CrCl3 center dot 6H(2)O system was found to be tolerant to high water content and high glucose concentration and could be recyded, exhibiting stable activity after five successive runs. Moreover, satisfactory results were achieved when fructose, sucrose, and cellobiose were used as feedstocks. This work might also provide useful information for the production of HMF from biomass.