title: Hydrogen-free catalytic fractionation of woody biomass.
abstract: The pulping industry could become a biorefinery if the lignin and hemicellulose components of the lignocellulose are valorized. Conversion of lignin into well-defined aromatic chemicals is still a major challenge. Lignin depolymerization reactions often occur in parallel with irreversible condensation reactions of the formed fragments. Here, we describe a strategy that markedly suppresses the undesired condensation pathways and allows to selectively transform lignin into a few aromatic compounds. Notably, applying this strategy to woody biomass at organosolv pulping conditions, the hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin were separated and in parallel the lignin was transformed into aromatic monomers. In addition, we were able to utilize a part of the lignocellulose as an internal source of hydrogen for the reductive lignin transformations. We hope that the presented methodology will inspire researchers in the field of lignin valorization as well as pulp producers to develop more efficient biomass fractionation processes in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maxim V
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6543-7674
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Galkin
authors.affiliation: Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN), Biomass & Energy Efficiency, Westerduinweg 3, 1755, LE, Petten, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Arjan T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Smit
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Subbotina
authors.affiliation: Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry-BMC, Uppsala University, 751 24, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Konstantin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Artemenko
authors.affiliation: Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry-BMC, Uppsala University, 751 24, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bergquist
authors.affiliation: Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN), Biomass & Energy Efficiency, Westerduinweg 3, 1755, LE, Petten, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wouter J J
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2043-1858
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Huijgen
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Joseph S M
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Samec
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D002482:Cellulose / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005591:Chemical Fractionation / Q000379:methods*; D006841:Hydrocarbons, Aromatic; D017705:Lignans / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008031:Lignin / Q000737:chemistry; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014934:Wood / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D006841:Hydrocarbons, Aromatic; D017705:Lignans; D011134:Polysaccharides; C036909:lignocellulose; C007916:hemicellulose; D002482:Cellulose; D008031:Lignin
keywords: biorefinery; hardwood; heterogeneous catalysis; lignin; pulping