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The Role of Group VIII Metals in Hydroconversion of Lignin to Value-Added Chemicals and Biofuels

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Catalysis for Clean Energy and Environmental Sustainability

Abstract

Biomass utilization originating from inedible farming and forest waste, as a renewable feedstock for liquid biofuels and viable products, will have important environmental and social impacts in the future. Lignocellulose, the main nonedible component of biomass, is a primordial element abundantly rich in cellulosic compounds and lignins. The conversion of cellulose and hemicellulose to biofuels and valuable platform chemicals (such as levulinic acid, formic acid, furfural, γ-valerolactone and other derivatives) has long been studied, and great progress has been made in their industrial production. Lignin being a unique raw material has gained enormous attention in the recent years being an important source for sustainable and viable products. The successful conversion of lignin into value-added chemicals involves three main processes: (1) decomposition of lignocellulose, (2) depolymerization (3) upgradation to the desirable chemicals. The choice of catalyst in either homo- or heterogeneous systems is crucial for the effective depolymerization of lignin and upgrading to desirable chemicals. Hydro-processing (hydrogenolysis, hydrogenation, hydrodeoxygenation and hydro-demethoxylation) is a highly preferred, practical method for the depolymerization leading to production of valuable products and drugs. These reactions generally occur over metals, namely, platinum, palladium, ruthenium and nickel. This chapter aims to present a holistic analysis of the role of Group VIII metals in conversion of lignin and lignin-based aromatic monomers. This simplified summary will be useful to researchers for developing heterogeneous catalyst towards effective production of industrially sound products.

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Acknowledgements

Authors thank the DST-SERB-CRG (Project No: CRG/2019/004624) and the Central University of Kerala for the financial support. Ms. Sreenavya is grateful to the Central University of Kerala for her fellowship, and Ms. Neethu is thankful to the CSIR for her Junior Research Fellowship.

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  1. Inorganic Materials & Heterogeneous Catalysis Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod, Kerala, India

    A. Sreenavya, P. P. Neethu & A. Sakthivel

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  1. A. Sreenavya
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  2. P. P. Neethu
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  3. A. Sakthivel
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Correspondence to A. Sakthivel .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    K. K. Pant

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    Sanjay Kumar Gupta

  3. Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India

    Ejaz Ahmad

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Sreenavya, A., Neethu, P.P., Sakthivel, A. (2021). The Role of Group VIII Metals in Hydroconversion of Lignin to Value-Added Chemicals and Biofuels. In: Pant, K.K., Gupta, S.K., Ahmad, E. (eds) Catalysis for Clean Energy and Environmental Sustainability. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65017-9_23

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