Paving the way for lignin valorisation: recent advances in bioengineering, biorefining and catalysis
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Lignin is an abundant biopolymer with a high carbon content and high aromaticity. Despite its potential as a raw material for the fuel and chemical industries, lignin remains the most poorly utilised of the lignocellulosic biopolymers. Effective valorisation of lignin requires careful fine-tuning of multiple “upstream” (i.e., lignin bioengineering, lignin isolation and “early-stage catalytic conversion of lignin”) and “downstream” (i.e., lignin depolymerisation and upgrading) process stages, demanding input and understanding from a broad array of scientific disciplines. This review provides a “beginning-to-end” analysis of the recent advances reported in lignin valorisation. Particular emphasis is placed on the improved understanding of lignin's biosynthesis and structure, differences in structure and chemical bonding between native and technical lignins, emerging catalytic valorisation strategies, and the relationships between lignin structure and catalyst performance.
Date Issued
2016-06-17
Date Acceptance
2016-01-28
Citation
Angewandte Chemie - International Edition, 2016, 55 (29), pp.8164-8215
ISSN
1433-7851
Publisher
Wiley
Start Page
8164
End Page
8215
Journal / Book Title
Angewandte Chemie - International Edition
Volume
55
Issue
29
Copyright Statement
© 2016 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits use,
distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original
work is properly cited, and is not used for commercial purposes.
Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits use,
distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original
work is properly cited, and is not used for commercial purposes.
License URL
Subjects
bioengineering
biorefining
catalysis
lignin
lignocellulose
Organic Chemistry
03 Chemical Sciences
Publication Status
Published