title: Electro-catalytic oxidative cleavage of lignin in a protic ionic liquid.
abstract: Lignin is a component of lignocellulosic biomass and a promising matrix for recovering important renewable aromatic compounds. We present a new approach of electro-oxidative cleavage of lignin, dissolved in a special protic ionic liquid, using an anode with particular electro-catalytic activity. As appropriate ionic liquid triethylammonium methanesulfonate was identified, synthesised, explored for dissolution of alkali-lignin and used for electrolysis of 5 wt.% lignin solutions. As appropriate anode material, oxidation-stable ruthenium-vanadium-titanium mixed oxide electrodes were prepared and explored for their electro-catalytic activity. The electrolysis was performed at several potentials in the range from 1.0 V to 1.5 V (vs. an Ag pseudo reference electrode). A wide range of aromatic fragments was identified as cleavage products by means of GC-MS and HPLC measurements.
authors.affiliation: Physical Chemistry, Saarland University, Campus B 2.2, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reichert
authors.forename: Reiner
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wintringer
authors.forename: Dietrich A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Volmer
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hempelmann
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004566:Electrodes; D004572:Electrolysis; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D052578:Ionic Liquids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008031:Lignin / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012428:Ruthenium / Q000737:chemistry; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry; D014639:Vanadium / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D052578:Ionic Liquids; D014639:Vanadium; D012428:Ruthenium; D008031:Lignin; D014025:Titanium