title: Bond cleavage of lignin model compounds into aromatic monomers using supported metal catalysts in supercritical water.
abstract: More efficient use of lignin carbon is necessary for carbon-efficient utilization of lignocellulosic biomass. Conversion of lignin into valuable aromatic compounds requires the cleavage of C-O ether bonds and C-C bonds between lignin monomer units. The catalytic cleavage of C-O bonds is still challenging, and cleavage of C-C bonds is even more difficult. Here, we report cleavage of the aromatic C-O bonds in lignin model compounds using supported metal catalysts in supercritical water without adding hydrogen gas and without causing hydrogenation of the aromatic rings. The cleavage of the C-C bond in bibenzyl was also achieved with Rh/C as a catalyst. Use of this technique may greatly facilitate the conversion of lignin into valuable aromatic compounds.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Chemical Process Technology, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 4-2-1 Nigatake, Miyagino, Sendai 983-8551, Japan.|JST, PRESTO, 4-2-1 Nigatake, Miyagino, Sendai 983-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Aritomo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Chemical Process Technology, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 4-2-1 Nigatake, Miyagino, Sendai 983-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mimura
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Chemical Process Technology, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 4-2-1 Nigatake, Miyagino, Sendai 983-8551, Japan.|Department of Chemistry and Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, Ueda 4-3-5, Morioka, Iwate 020-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shirai
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Chemical Process Technology, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 4-2-1 Nigatake, Miyagino, Sendai 983-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sato