Work

Room‐Temperature Degradation of Lignin from Wasted Seed Coats for the Production of Pyrocatechol/Gallol Derivatives

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The conversion of lignin, an important sustainable biopolymer, into clearly defined monomer compounds is both a significant and appealing challenge. However, this process configuration normally requires high temperatures, elevated H 2 pressures, and a great amount of solvent used. To address these challenges, this study developed a highly effective catalytic system comprising Lewis‐acidic organoboranes [(B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 )] and triethylsilane (Et 3 SiH) to catalytically depolymerize lignin derived from wasted seed coats (macadamia, camellia, apricot, and walnut) into pyrocatechol/gallol derivatives (yield: 14.6–33.3 wt%) under ambient conditions. The analysis using GC‐MS and 2D‐NMR spectroscopy revealed that the βO4 bonds within lignin are notably severed after the depolymerization. Reactive screening of different βO4 mimics provides insights into understanding the mechanism of lignin depolymerization in the proposed system. Overall, our results indicated a green and sustainable approach for the production of pyrocatechol/gallol from biomass waste.

Source: ChemSusChem

DOI: 10.1002/cssc.70600

Authors: Shihao Su, Lei Wang

Institution: Westlake University

Language: English

Topic: Lignin and Wood Chemistry

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China