Downstream Processing Strategies for Lignin‐First Biorefinery

• Published in: ChemSusChem 2020-10, Vol.13 (19), p.5199-5212
• Main Authors: Sun, Zhuohua, Cheng, Jinling, Wang, Dingsheng, Yuan, Tong‐Qi, Song, Guoyong, Barta, Katalin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: biomass valorization; biorefinery; catalysis; Concrete blocks; Concrete construction; Depolymerization; Fine chemicals; Lignin; Monomers; Refining
• ISSN: 1864-5631; 1864-564X
• DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202001085

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. Worry about it later: The lignin‐first strategy is a powerful approach for generating platform chemicals by efficient depolymerization of lignin. Recent progress has been made in developing innovative downstream processing strategies to afford bulk and fine chemical building blocks, polymers, pharmaceutically relevant compounds, and fuels. This Minireview provides an overview of these recent advances.