Partial depolymerization of enzymolysis lignin via mild hydrogenolysis over Raney Nickel

Junna Xin; Pei Zhang; Michael P Wolcott; Xiao Zhang; Jinwen Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2013.12.092

Partial depolymerization of enzymolysis lignin via mild hydrogenolysis over Raney Nickel

Bioresour Technol. 2014 Mar:155:422-6. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.12.092. Epub 2014 Jan 2.

Authors

Junna Xin¹, Pei Zhang¹, Michael P Wolcott¹, Xiao Zhang², Jinwen Zhang³

Affiliations

¹ Composite Materials and Engineering Center, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.
² School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Bioproducts, Science and Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, Richland, WA 99354, USA.
³ Composite Materials and Engineering Center, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA. Electronic address: jwzhang@wsu.edu.

PMID: 24461256
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.12.092

Abstract

In this work, partial depolymerization of enzymolysis lignin collected from a woody biomass-to-ethanol process was studied via mild hydrogenolysis under the catalysis of Raney Ni. The depolymerized lignin products were low molecular weight oligomers with increased hydroxyl values. The solvent selected, use of base and various reaction parameters were all found to influence yield of depolymerization, the molecular weight and hydroxyl value of the hydrogenated product. The depolymerized lignins displayed greatly enhanced solubility in organic solvents, and therefore would have great potential to be used as feedstock for many valuable thermosetting polymer applications.

Keywords: Enzymolysis lignin; Hydrogenolysis; Lignin depolymerization; Raney Ni.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aluminum / chemistry
Biofuels*
Catalysis
Ethanol
Lignin / chemistry*
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Nickel / chemistry
Polymerization
Wood / chemistry*

Substances

Biofuels
Ethanol
Nickel
Lignin
Aluminum