Hydrogenolysis of Organosolv Lignin in Ethanol/Isopropanol Media without Added Transition-Metal Catalyst

Lignin is the largest renewable source of aromatic chemical building blocks on the planet and has great potential for the production of value-added chemicals. Herein, we describe lignin hydrogenolysis/depolymerization of organosolv poplar lignin (OPL) in ethanol/isopropanol solvent in the absence of added catalysts. Different EtOH/ i -PrOH ratios as well as various reaction conditions were evaluated. OPL depolymerization was more effective in the mixed media than in ethanol or isopropanol alone. Heating OPL at 270 °C for 4 h in 50:50 (v:v) EtOH/ i -PrOH in a closed pressure vessel gave an overall oil yield of 70 wt %, of which about 48% consisted of the monomers ( E )-4-propenyl syringol and isoeugenol. Notably, these catalyst-free reactions in ethanol/isopropanol media show monomer yields comparable to those reported for lignin depolymerization using precious metal catalysts and dihydrogen, which suggests unexpectedly favorable H-donor ability of this mixed alcohol medium.