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Formic-Acid-Induced using Recyclable-Ionic Liquids as Catalysts for Lignin Conversion into Aromatic Co-Products

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Abstract

Lignin has been widely named as a sustainable and renewable bioresource of energy, fuels, chemicals and materials, particularly phenolic chemicals production on Earth. These bio-derived compounds are in great potential need of biorefinery to valorize complete plant biomass. Lignin depolymerization showed a great promise approach to convert into low molecular aromatic products. In this report, high molecular weight (54,000 Da) lignin depolymerization into maximum yields (87%), (≥ 95 ± 6% mass balance) using a formic acid along with dual (–SO3H) functionalized imidazole-based recyclable (4 times) Brønsted acidic ionic liquids (BAILs) as catalysts have been investigated in H2O–CH3OH (1:5, v/v) at 120 °C for 1 h. The structural correlations between the lignin and aromatic products were studied by bulk (CHNS, GPC, etc.) and molecular (UV–Vis, FT-IR, NMR (1D/2D) levels experimental techniques. Additionally, the identification of aromatic products was carried out by applying HPLC, GC and GC–MS techniques.

Graphic Abstract

Addition of a formic acid into Brønsted acidic ionic liquids improved the catalytic efficiency significantly for lignin depolymerization into 87% low molecular weight aromatic products.

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Acknowledgements

SKS thanks Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India for Senior Research Fellowship (SRF).

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  1. Catalysis & Inorganic Chemistry Division, CSIR- National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, 411008, India

    Sandip K. Singh & Paresh L. Dhepe

  2. Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi, 110025, India

    Sandip K. Singh & Paresh L. Dhepe

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Synthesis and characterization of BAILs, lignin depolymerization, work-up procedure, aromatic products recovery, analytical methods used for the identification of aromatic products. (DOCX 1715 kb)

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Singh, S.K., Dhepe, P.L. Formic-Acid-Induced using Recyclable-Ionic Liquids as Catalysts for Lignin Conversion into Aromatic Co-Products. Waste Biomass Valor 11, 6261–6272 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-019-00896-3

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