西亚试剂：Formic-acid-induced depolymerization of oxidized lignin to

Lignin is a heterogeneous aromatic biopolymer that accounts for nearly 30% of the organic carbon on Earth1 and is one of the few renewable sources of aromatic chemicals2. As the most recalcitrant of the three components of lignocellulosic biomass (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin)3, lignin has been treated as a waste product in the pulp and paper industry, wher it is burned to supply energy and recover pulping chemicals in the operation of paper mills4. Extraction of higher value from lignin is increasingly recognized as being crucial to the economic viability of integrated biorefineries5, 6. Depolymerization is an important starting point for many lignin valorization strategies, because it could generate valuable aromatic chemicals and/or provide a source of low-molecular-mass feedstocks suitable for downstream processing7. Commercial precedents show that certain types of lignin (lignosulphonates) may be converted into vanillin and other marketable products8, 9, but new technologies are needed to enhance the lignin value chain. The complex, irregular structure of lignin complicates chemical conversion efforts, and known depolymerization methods typically afford ill-defined products in low yields (that is, less than 10–20wt%)2, 10, 11. Here we describe a method for the depolymerization of oxidized lignin under mild conditions in aqueous formic acid that results in more than 60wt% yield of low-molecular-mass aromatics. We present the discovery of this facile C–O cleavage method, its application to aspen lignin depolymerization, and mechanistic insights into the reaction. The broader implications of these results for lignin conversion and biomass refining are also considered

以上资料由西亚试剂：http://www.xiyashiji.com/ 提供