Lignin is potentially a plentiful source of renewable organics, but conversion to value-added chemicals and fuels is inhibited by strong chemical bonds and diverse structure. Pyrolysis approaches are energy intensive, produce complex mixtures, and remove valuable chemical functionality. Low-temperature routes are desirable, but homogeneous catalysts suffer from catalyst recovery issues, while enzymes are thermally fragile and incompatible with organic solvents needed for lignin unfolding. We are developing nanoporous Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) to catalyze reductive and oxidative bond cleavage in lignin model compounds. MOF possess unsurpassed tailorability in pore size and local chemical environment, with high thermal/chemical robustness required for industrial-scale processes. In this presentation we describe proof-of-concept experiments demonstrating C-O bond cleavage at 120C using a MOF-based catalyst, with conversions as high as 50% for a range of lignin model compounds. Potential reaction pathways were evaluated using quantum-chemistry methods. The results suggest that both confinement and the presence of reactive metals are essential.

MOF-based catalysts for lignin degradation

248th National Meeting (2014)

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