Chad T Palumbo, Nina X Gu, Alissa C Bleem, Kevin P Sullivan, Rui Katahira, Lisa M Stanley, Jacob K Kenny, Morgan A Ingraham, Kelsey J Ramirez, Stefan J Haugen, Caroline R Amendola, Shannon S Stahl, Gregg T Beckham
Efforts to produce aromatic monomers through catalytic lignin depolymerization have historically focused on aryl-ether bond cleavage. A large fraction of aromatic monomers in lignin, however, are linked by various carbon-carbon (C-C) bonds that are more challenging to cleave and limit the yields of aromatic monomers from lignin depolymerization. Here, we report a catalytic autoxidation method to cleave C-C bonds in lignin-derived dimers and oligomers from pine and poplar. The method uses manganese and zirconium salts as catalysts in acetic acid and produces aromatic carboxylic acids as primary products...
January 29, 2024: Nature Communications