Catalytic Transformation of Lignocellulose into Chemicals and Fuel Products in Ionic Liquids

Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Furanic Derivatives with Deep Eutectic Solvents

Biomass is the only renewable organic carbon resource in nature, and the transformation of abundant biomass into various chemicals has received immense spotlight. As a novel generation of designer solvents, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have been widely used in biorefinery due to their excellent properties including low cost, easy preparation, and biodegradability. Although there have been some reports summarizing the performance of DESs for the transformation of biomass into various chemicals, few Reviews illuminate the relationship between the functional structure of DESs and catalytic conversion of biomass. Hence, this Minireview comprehensively summarizes the effects of the types of functional groups in DESs on catalytic conversion of biomass into furanic derivatives, such as carboxylic acid-based hydrogen-bond donors (HBDs), carbohydrate-based HBDs, polyalcohol-based HBDs, amine/amide-based HBDs, spatial structure of HBDs, and various hydrogen-bond acceptors (HBAs). It also further summarizes the effects of adding different additives into the DESs on the synthesis of high value-added chemicals, including water, liquid inorganic acids, Lewis acids, heteropoly acids, and typical solid acids. Moreover, current challenges and prospects for the application of DESs in biomass conversion are provided.

Recent Advances in Photocatalytic Transformation of Carbohydrates Into Valuable Platform Chemicals

In response to the less accessible fossil resources and deteriorating environmental problems, catalytic conversion of the abundant and renewable lignocellulosic biomass to replace fossil resources for the production of value-added chemicals and fuels is of great importance. Depolymerization of carbohydrate and its derivatives can obtain a series of C5-C6 monosaccharides (e.g., glucose and xylose) and their derived platform compounds (e.g., HMF and furfural). Selective transformation of lignocellulose using sustainable solar energy via photocatalysis has attract broad interest from a growing scientific community. The unique photogenerated reactive species (e.g., h+, e−, •OH, •O2−, and 1O2), novel reaction pathways as well as the mild reaction conditions make photocatalysis a “dream reaction.” This review is aimed to provide an overview of the up-to-date contributions achieved in the selective photocatalytic transformation of carbohydrate and its derivatives. Photocatalytic methods, properties and merits of different catalytic systems are well summarized. We then put forward future perspective and challenges in this field.

Sulfonic Derivatives as Recyclable Acid Catalysts in the Dehydration of Fructose to 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural in Biphasic Solvent Systems

Biphasic systems have received increasing attention for acid-catalyzed dehydration of hexoses to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) because of their high efficiency in in situ extraction and stabilization of HMF. Different organic solvents and acid catalysts were applied in these systems, but their effects on the dehydration activity and HMF yield, and the recycling of homogeneous acid catalysts remain largely unexplored. Here, we tested different solvent systems containing a wide range of organic solvents with low boiling points to study the effects of their chemical structures on fructose dehydration and provided stable H₂O-dioxane and H₂O-acetonitrile biphasic systems with high HMF yields of 76-79% using water-soluble sulfonic derivatives as homogeneous acid catalysts under mild conditions (383 K). By analyzing the partition coefficients of HMF and sulfonic derivatives, 94.3% of HMF and 87.1% of NH₂SO₃H were, respectively, restrained in the dioxane phase and aqueous phase in the H₂O-dioxane biphasic system and easily divided by phase separation. The effects of the adjacent group in sulfonic derivatives and reaction temperature on fructose conversions and HMF yields suggest that in a specific biphasic system, the catalysts' acidity and reaction conditions significantly affect the fructose dehydration activity but hardly influence the optimal yield of HMF, and an almost constant amount of carbon loss was observed mainly due to the poor hydrothermal stability of fructose. Such developments offer a promising strategy to address the challenge in the separation and recycling of homogeneous acid catalysts in the practical HMF production.

Efficient Catalysts for the Green Synthesis of Adipic Acid from Biomass

Green synthesis of adipic acid from renewable biomass is a very attractive goal of sustainable chemistry. Herein, we report efficient catalysts for a two-step transformation of cellulose-derived glucose into adipic acid via glucaric acid. Carbon nanotube-supported platinum nanoparticles are found to work efficiently for the oxidation of glucose to glucaric acid. An activated carbon-supported bifunctional catalyst composed of rhenium oxide and palladium is discovered to be powerful for the removal of four hydroxyl groups in glucaric acid, affording adipic acid with a 99 % yield. Rhenium oxide functions for the deoxygenation but is less efficient for four hydroxyl group removal. The co-presence of palladium not only catalyzes the hydrogenation of olefin intermediates but also synergistically facilitates the deoxygenation. This work presents a green route for adipic acid synthesis and offers a bifunctional-catalysis strategy for efficient deoxygenation.

Highly efficient catalytic transfer hydrogenation of furfural over defect-rich amphoteric ZrO2 with abundant surface acid-base sites

Currently, the catalytic transformation and utilization of biomass-derived compounds are of great importance to the alleviation of environmental problems and sustainable development. Among them, furfural alcohol derived from biomass resources has been found to be one of the most prospective biomass platforms for high-value chemicals and biofuels. Herein, high-surface-area ZrO₂ with abundant oxygen defects and surface acid-base sites was synthesized and used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the catalytic transfer hydrogenation of furfural into furfural alcohol using alcohol as a hydrogen donor. The as-synthesized ZrO₂ exhibited excellent catalytic performance with 98.2% FA conversion and 97.1% FOL selectivity, even comparable with that of a homogeneous Lewis acid catalyst. A series of characterization studies and experimental results revealed that acid sites on the surface of ZrO₂ could adsorb and activate the C[double bond, length as m-dash]O bond in furfural and base sites could facilitate the formation of alkoxide species. The synergistic effect of surface acid-base sites affords a harmonious environment for the reaction, which is crucial for catalytic transfer hydrogenation of furfural with high efficiency. Furthermore, the as-prepared ZrO₂ catalyst also exhibited a potential application for the efficient catalytic transfer hydrogenation of a series of biomass-derived carbonyl compounds.

Transition-Metal-Free Valorization of Biomass-derived Levulinic Acid Derivatives: Synthesis of Curcumene and Xanthorrhizol

Levulinic acid (LA) is acknowledged one of the most promising biomass-derived platform molecules and can be transformed into various value-added chemicals. Here, we report a new reaction process for the valorization of LA derivatives under transition-metal-free condition. The protocol combined with the conversion of the levulinate to tosylhydrazone and base promoted arylation, acylation, and etherification cross-coupling. Moreover, our method was applied to synthesize three biologically active molecules, rac-curcumene, rac-xanthorrhizol and rac-4,7-dimethyl-l-tetralone. This reaction discloses a new avenue for the high-value utilization of platform molecules.

Recent catalytic routes for the preparation and the upgrading of biomass derived furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

Furans represent one of the most important classes of intermediates in the conversion of non-edible lignocellulosic biomass into bio-based chemicals and fuels. At present, bio-furan derivatives are generally obtained from cellulose and hemicellulose fractions of biomass via the acid-catalyzed dehydration of their relative C6-C5 sugars and then converted into a wide range of products. Furfural (FUR) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) are surely the most used furan-based feedstocks since their chemical structure allows the preparation of various high-value-added chemicals. Among several well-established catalytic approaches, hydrogenation and oxygenation processes have been efficiently adopted for upgrading furans; however, harsh reaction conditions are generally required. In this review, we aim to discuss the conversion of biomass derived FUR and HMF through unconventional (transfer hydrogenation, photocatalytic and electrocatalytic) catalytic processes promoted by heterogeneous catalytic systems. The reaction conditions adopted, the chemical nature and the physico-chemical properties of the most employed heterogeneous systems in enhancing the catalytic activity and in driving the selectivity to desired products are presented and compared. At the same time, the latest results in the production of FUR and HMF through novel environmental friendly processes starting from lignocellulose as well as from wastes and by-products obtained in the processing of biomass are also overviewed.

Deep Eutectic Solvents as Catalysts for Upgrading Biomass

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as promising green solvents, due to their versatility and properties such as high biodegradability, inexpensiveness, ease of preparation and negligible vapor pressure. Thus, DESs have been used as sustainable media and green catalysts in many chemical processes. On the other hand, lignocellulosic biomass as an abundant source of renewable carbon has received ample interest for the production of biobased chemicals. In this review, the state of the art of the catalytic use of DESs in upgrading the biomass-related substances towards biofuels and value-added chemicals is presented, and the gap in the knowledge is indicated to direct the future research.

Catalytic Conversion of Glucose into Levulinic Acid Using 2-Phenyl-2-Imidazoline Based Ionic Liquid Catalyst

Levulinic acid (LA) is an industrially important product that can be catalytically valorized into important value-added chemicals. In this study, hydrothermal conversion of glucose into levulinic acid was attempted using Brønsted acidic ionic liquid catalyst synthesized using 2-phenyl-2-imidazoline, and 2-phenyl-2-imidazoline-based ionic liquid catalyst used in this study was synthesized in the laboratory using different anions (NO₃, H₂PO₄, and Cl) and characterized using ¹H NMR, TGA, and FT-IR spectroscopic techniques. The activity trend of the Brønsted acidic ionic liquid catalysts synthesized in the laboratory was found in the following order: [C₄SO₃HPhim][Cl] > [C₄SO₃HPhim][NO₃] > [C₄SO₃HPhim][H₂PO₄]. A maximum 63% yield of the levulinic acid was obtained with 98% glucose conversion at 180 °C and 3 h reaction time using [C₄SO₃HPhim][Cl] ionic liquid catalyst. The effect of different reaction conditions such as reaction time, temperature, ionic liquid catalyst structures, catalyst amount, and solvents on the LA yield were investigated. Reusability of [C₄SO₃HPhim][Cl] catalyst up to four cycles was observed. This study demonstrates the potential of the 2-phenyl-2-imidazoline-based ionic liquid for the conversion of glucose into the important platform chemical levulinic acid.

LiCl-promoted-dehydration of fructose-based carbohydrates into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in isopropanol

The carbohydrate-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is one of the most versatile intermediate chemicals, and is promising to bridge the growing gap between the supply and demand of energy and chemicals. Developing a low-cost catalytic system will be helpful to the production of HMF in industry. Herein, the commercially available lithium chloride (LiCl) and isopropanol (i-PrOH) are used to construct a cost-effective and low-toxic system, viz., LiCl/i-PrOH, for the preparation of HMF from fructose-based carbohydrates, achieving ∼80% of HMF yield under the optimum conditions. The excellent promotion effect of LiCl on fructose conversion in i-PrOH could be attributed to the synergistic effect of LiCl with i-PrOH through the LiCl-promoted and i-PrOH-aided dehydration process, and the co-operation of LiCl and i-PrOH for stabilizing the as-formed HMF by hydrogen/coordination bonds, giving a low activation energy of 68.68 kJ mol-1 with a pre-exponential factor value of 1.2 × 104 min-1. The LiCl/i-PrOH system is a substrate-tolerant and scalable catalytic system, fructose (scaled up 10 times), sucrose, and inulin also give 73.6%, 30.3%, and 70.3% HMF yield, respectively. Moreover, this system could be reused 8 times without significant loss of activity. The readily available and low-toxic LiCl, the sustainable solvent (i-PrOH), the renewable starting materials, and the mild reaction conditions make this system promising and sustainable for the industrial production of HMF in future.

Electro-oxidative depolymerisation of technical lignin in water using platinum, nickel oxide hydroxide and graphite electrodes

In order to improve the lignin exploitation to added-value bioproducts, a mild chemical conversion route based on electrochemistry was investigated.

Recognizing soft templates as stimulators in multivariate modulation of tin phosphate and its application in catalysis for alkyl levulinate synthesis

Soft template tunes and controls explicitly both morphology and nature of active sites during the synthesis of tin phosphate catalyst. This synthesis strategy helped in producing alkyl levulinate in high yields from one-pot alcoholysis of furfuryl alcohol.

Design of Brønsted acidic ionic liquid functionalized mesoporous organosilica nanospheres for efficient synthesis of ethyl levulinate and levulinic acid from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

Mesoporous organosilica nanosphere-immobilized Brønsted acidic ionic liquids with a controlled particle size and pore morphology exhibit high activity and selectivity.

One-pot fructose conversion into 5-ethoxymethylfurfural using a sulfonated hydrophobic mesoporous organic polymer as a highly active and stable heterogeneous catalyst

We report a sulfonated hydrophobic mesoporous organic polymer (MOP-SO3H) as a highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst for one-pot 5-ethoxymethylfurfural (EMF) production from fructose in ethanol solvent.

ZIF-8-porous ionic liquids for the extraction of 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-propanol and water mixture

Porous ionic liquids were employed for the extraction of TFP and water via a unique liquid porous structure and intermolecular interaction.

Photocatalytic processes for biomass conversion

This review focuses on the photocatalytic conversion of biomass, emphasizing several types of systems, including different photocatalysts and biomass derivatives.

Copper-Catalyzed Oxidative Cleavage of the C-C Bonds of β-Alkoxy Alcohols and β-1 Compounds

Copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidation conditions were employed to promote the C-C bond cleavage of β-alkoxy alcohols and β-1 compounds (lignin model compounds). Besides these compounds, various 1,2 and 1,3-diols were successfully converted to aldehydes. We propose the Cu(I)-catalyzed mechanism explaining the C-C cleavage of these 1,2 and 1,3-dihydroxy compounds and β-alkoxy alcohols based on XPS data. Although our reaction conditions do not include large excess of bases and elaborated ligand-modified catalysts, copper salts with/without Me-TBD show good catalytic activities for C-C bond cleavage of various lignin model compounds.

Design of quaternary ammonium type-ionic liquids as desiccants for an air-conditioning system

The liquid desiccant air-conditioning system allows reducing energy consumption compared to the conventional compressor-type air conditioners. In order to develop desiccant materials for air conditioners, we have investigated the dehumidification capability of quaternary ammonium Ionic Liquids (ILs) and the equilibrium water vapor pressure of aqueous solutions of these ammonium salts. Among the seven tested types of ILs, 2-hydroxy-N ,N ,N -trimethylethan-1-aminium dimethylphosphate ([Ch][DMPO4]) displayed the best dehumidification capability and the lowest equilibrium water vapor pressure. Furthermore, the 80% aqueous solution of [Ch][DMPO4] exhibited a less corrosive effect on four types of metals, i.e., steel (hot dip zinc-aluminum alloy plated steel), copper (C1100P), aluminum (A5052), and stainless steel (SUS: SUS304). It should be noted that this [Ch][DMPO4] is not only non-toxic but also exhibits a stable nature; the aqueous solution produced no odor after storing for over 1 year under ambient conditions.

Visible-light photoredox-catalyzed C-O bond cleavage of diaryl ethers by acridinium photocatalysts at room temperature

Cleavage of C-O bonds in lignin can afford the renewable aryl sources for fine chemicals. However, the high bond energies of these C-O bonds, especially the 4-O-5-type diaryl ether C-O bonds (~314 kJ/mol) make the cleavage very challenging. Here, we report visible-light photoredox-catalyzed C-O bond cleavage of diaryl ethers by an acidolysis with an aryl carboxylic acid and a following one-pot hydrolysis. Two molecules of phenols are obtained from one molecule of diaryl ether at room temperature. The aryl carboxylic acid used for the acidolysis can be recovered. The key to success of the acidolysis is merging visible-light photoredox catalysis using an acridinium photocatalyst and Lewis acid catalysis using Cu(TMHD)₂. Preliminary mechanistic studies indicate that the catalytic cycle occurs via a rare selective electrophilic attack of the generated aryl carboxylic radical on the electron-rich aryl ring of the diphenyl ether. This transformation is applied to a gram-scale reaction and the model of 4-O-5 lignin linkages.

Collaborative Conversion of Biomass Carbohydrates into Valuable Chemicals: Catalytic Strategy and Mechanism Research

Levulinate is one of the high added-value biomass-derived chemicals that is primarily produced from hexoses in cellulose and hemicellulose. Producing levulinate from pentoses in hemicellulose that is extensively distributed in biomass is still highly challenging. In this study, biomass materials and carbohydrates (including cellulose, xylan, glucose, fructose, and xylose) were collaboratively converted into levulinates efficiently over various zeolites with ethanol/dimethoxymethane as cosolvents. The key process for converting pentoses into levulinates is the synthesis of intermediates (furfural) into alkoxy methyl furfural via electrophilic substitution or their conversion into furfuryl alcohol via in situ hydrogenation. The substitution was achieved by the synergic effect between bifunctional catalysts and cosolvents, which promotes conversion of furfural into alkoxy methyl furfural via the electrophilic addition of alkoxy methyl radicals. Hydrogenation of furfural into furfuryl alcohol was impelled by the cooperative process between in situ generated H-donor from alcohol solvents and zeolite catalysts. Moreover, a favorable yield of 21.05 mol % of levulinates was achieved by simultaneous and collaborative conversion of cellulose and hemicellulose with the one-pot process using ethanol/dimethoxymethane as a cosolvent and the zeolite with B and L acid sites as a catalyst.

Dearomatization-Rearomatization Strategy for Synthesizing Carbazoles with 2,2'-Biphenols and Ammonia by Dual C(Ar)-OH Bond Cleavages

Carbazole is an essential building block in various pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, natural products, and materials. For future sustainability, it is highly desirable to synthesize carbazole derivatives directly from renewable resources or cheap raw materials. Phenolic compounds are a class of degradation products of lignin. On the other hand, ammonia is a very cheap industrial inorganic chemical. Herein, an efficient dearomatization-rearomatization strategy has been developed to directly cross-couple 2,2'-biphenols with ammonia by dual C(Ar)-OH bond cleavages. This strategy provides a greener pathway to synthesize valuable carbazole derivatives from phenols.

Synthetic glycosidases for the precise hydrolysis of oligosaccharides and polysaccharides

Glycosidases are an important class of enzymes for performing the selective hydrolysis of glycans. Although glycans can be hydrolyzed in principle by acidic water, hydrolysis with high selectivity using nonenzymatic catalysts is an unachieved goal. Molecular imprinting in cross-linked micelles afforded water-soluble polymeric nanoparticles with a sugar-binding boroxole in the imprinted site. Post-modification installed an acidic group near the oxygen of the targeted glycosidic bond, with the acidity and distance of the acid varied systematically. The resulting synthetic glycosidase hydrolyzed oligosaccharides and polysaccharides in a highly controlled fashion simply in hot water. These catalysts not only broke down amylose with similar selectivities to those of natural enzymes, but they also could be designed to possess selectivity not available with biocatalysts. Substrate selectivity was mainly determined by the sugar residues bound within the active site, including their spatial orientations. Separation of the product was accomplished through in situ dialysis, and the catalysts left behind could be used multiple times with no signs of degradation. This work illustrates a general method to construct synthetic glycosidases from readily available building blocks via self-assembly, covalent capture, and post-modification. In addition, controlled, precise, one-step hydrolysis is an attractive way to prepare complex glycans from naturally available carbohydrate sources.

Directional and integrated conversion of whole components in biomass for levulinates and phenolics with biphasic system

Integrated conversion and stepwise extraction of whole components in biomass with biphasic system are introduced for producing chemicals: levulinates and phenolics. When methanol/dimethoxymethane as biphasic solvent, 46.51% methyl levulinate and 18.78% phenolics were obtained with a conversion of 80.59 wt% per 4 g rice straw under the mild reaction conditions. Levulinates were collected with a 87.5 wt% high purity of methyl levulinate with stepwise precipitation and extraction from the cellulose and hemicellulose. The results of acid value, freezing point, induction period, kinematic viscosity, and flash point supposed that the extracted methyl levulinate could meet the requirements of fuel additives. Depolymerized lignin was consisted of many low-molecular phenolics. These results illustrated that the biphasic system can promote the conversion of cellulose and hemicellulose to the same product methyl levulinate through different intermediate transition compounds, and the catalyst can contribute to directly cleave the glycosidic bonds, β-O-4, and 4-O-5 with adequate protons.

Investigations of Hydrocarbon Species on Solid Catalysts by Inelastic Neutron Scattering

The status of surface species on solid catalysts during heterogeneous catalysis is often mysterious. Investigations of these surface species are crucial to deconvolute the reaction network and design more efficient catalysts. Vibrational spectroscopy is a powerful technique to study the interactions between surface species and the catalysts and infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopies have been widely applied to study reaction mechanisms in heterogeneous catalysis. However, IR/Raman spectra are difficult to model computationally and important vibrational modes may be IR-, Raman- (or both) inactive due to restrictions by optical selection rules. Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) is another form of vibrational spectroscopy and relies on the scattering of neutrons by the atomic nucleus. A consequence of this is that INS is not subject to any optical selection rules and all vibrations are measurable in principle. INS spectroscopy has been used to investigate surface species on catalysts in a wide range of heterogeneous catalytic reactions. In this mini-review, we focus on applications of INS in two important fields: petrochemical reactions and C1 chemistry. We introduce the basic principles of the INS technique, followed by a discussion of its application in investigating two key catalytic systems: (i) the behaviour of hydrocarbons on metal-oxide and zeolite catalysts and (ii) the formation of hydrocarbonaceous species on methane reforming and Fischer–Tropsch catalysts. The power of INS in studying these important catalytic systems is demonstrated.

Controlled Natural Biomass Deoxygenation Allows the Design of Reusable Hot-Melt Adhesives Acting in a Multiple Oxygen Binding Mode

The present article describes a conceptual view on the design of reusable bioderived high-value-added materials. The translation of a highly complex irregular structure of natural biopolymer into a well-defined hierarchically organized molecular chain led to the discovery of unique adhesive properties enhanced by a novel multiple binding effect. For practical applications, biomass-derived furanic polyesters were found as reusable thermoplastic adhesives. Examined poly(ethylene-2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PEF) and poly(hexamethylene-2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PHF) showed strong adhesion to aluminum in single-lap shear tests (1.47 ± 0.1 and 1.18 ± 0.1 kN/cm², respectively). After the separation, the joints could be easily restored by reheating of the metal parts. Three consecutive cycles of regluing were successfully performed without a significant drop in the adhesive strength. Strong adhesion of the biomass-derived polymers to glass surfaces was also observed (0.93 ± 0.11 kN/cm² for PEF and 0.84 ± 0.06 kN/cm² for PHF). An in-depth study of the surfaces after the shear tests, carried out by means of scanning electron microscopy, revealed predominantly cohesive failure in the case of aluminum samples and adhesive failure in the case of glass samples. Computational modeling revealed a multiple oxygen binding mode for the interaction of furanic polyester molecules with the glass surface and metal atoms. Only sustainable materials were used as a carbon source for the production of target polymers, which showed excellent compatibility with the practically most demanding constructing materials (a universal reusable hot-melt adhesive for copper, brass, Be-copper, Mn-bronze, zinc, aluminum, titanium, and glass).

Downstream Processing Strategies for Lignin-First Biorefinery

The lignin-first strategy has emerged as one of the most powerful approaches for generating novel platform chemicals from lignin by efficient depolymerization of native lignin. Because of the emergence of this novel depolymerization method and the definition of viable platform chemicals, future focus will soon shift towards innovative downstream processing strategies. Very recently, many interesting approaches have emerged that describe the production of valuable products across the whole value chain, including bulk and fine chemical building blocks, and several concrete examples have been developed for the production of polymers, pharmaceutically relevant compounds, or fuels. This Minireview provides an overview of these recent advances. After a short summary of catalytic systems for obtaining aromatic monomers, a comprehensive discussion on their separation and applications is given. This Minireview will fill the gap in biorefinery between deriving high yields of lignin monomers and tapping into their potential for making valuable consumer products.

Solvent-Free Approaches in Carbohydrate Synthetic Chemistry: Role of Catalysis in Reactivity and Selectivity

Owing to their abundance in biomass and availability at a low cost, carbohydrates are very useful precursors for products of interest in a broad range of scientific applications. For example, they can be either converted into basic chemicals or used as chiral precursors for the synthesis of potentially bioactive molecules, even including nonsaccharide targets; in addition, there is also a broad interest toward the potential of synthetic sugar-containing structures in the field of functional materials. Synthetic elaboration of carbohydrates, in both the selective modification of functional groups and the assembly of oligomeric structures, is not trivial and often entails experimentally demanding approaches practiced by specialized groups. Over the last years, a large number of solvent-free synthetic methods have appeared in the literature, often being endowed with several advantages such as greenness, experimental simplicity, and a larger scope than analogous reactions in solution. Most of these methods are catalytically promoted, and the catalyst often plays a key role in the selectivity associated with the process. This review aims to describe the significant recent contributions in the solvent-free synthetic chemistry of carbohydrates, devoting a special critical focus on both the mechanistic role of the catalysts employed and the differences evidenced so far with corresponding methods in solution.

Chemicals from Lignin: A Review of Catalytic Conversion Involving Hydrogen

Lignin is the most abundant biopolymer with aromatic building blocks and its valorization to sustainable chemicals and fuels has extremely great potential to reduce the excessive dependence on fossil resources, although such conversions remain challenging. The purpose of this Review is to present an insight into the catalytic conversion of lignin involving hydrogen, including reductive depolymerization and the hydrodeoxygenation of lignin-derived monomers to arenes, cycloalkanes and phenols, with a main focus on the catalyst systems and reaction mechanisms. The roles of hydrogenation sites (Ru, Pt, Pd, Rh) and acid sites (Nb, Ti, Mo), as well as their interaction in selective hydrodeoxygenation reactions are emphasized. Furthermore, some inspirational strategies for the production of other value-added chemicals are mentioned. Finally, some personal perspectives are provided to highlight the opportunities within this attractive field.

Electrochemical Lignin Conversion

Lignin is the largest source of renewable aromatic compounds, making the recovery of aromatic compounds from this material a significant scientific goal. Recently, many studies have reported on lignin depolymerization and upgrading strategies. Electrochemical approaches are considered to be low cost, reagent free, and environmentally friendly, and can be carried out under mild reaction conditions. In this Review, different electrochemical lignin conversion strategies, including electrooxidation, electroreduction, hybrid electro-oxidation and reduction, and combinations of electrochemical and other processes (e. g., biological, solar) for lignin depolymerization and upgrading are discussed in detail. In addition to lignin conversion, electrochemical lignin fractionation from biomass and black liquor is also briefly discussed. Finally, the outlook and challenges for electrochemical lignin conversion are presented.

Highly Efficient Cleavage of Ether Bonds in Lignin Models by Transfer Hydrogenolysis over Dual-Functional Ruthenium/Montmorillonite

Cleavage of ether bonds is a crucial but challenging step for lignin valorization. To efficiently realize this transformation, the development of robust catalysts or catalytic systems is required. In this study, montmorillonite (MMT)-supported Ru (denoted as Ru/MMT) is fabricated as a dual-functional heterogeneous catalyst to cleave various types of ether bonds through transfer hydrogenolysis without using any additional acids or bases. The prepared Ru/MMT material is found to efficiently catalyze the cleavage of various lignin models and lignin-derived phenols; cyclohexanes (fuels) and cyclohexanols (key intermediates) are the main products. The synergistic effect between electron-enriched Ru and the acidic sites on MMT contributes to the excellent performance of Ru/MMT. Systematic studies reveal that the reaction proceeds through two possible reaction pathways, including the direct cleavage of ether bonds and the formation of intermediates with one hydrogenated benzene ring, for all examined types of ether bonds, namely, 4-O-5, α-O-4, and β-O-4.