Hydrogenolytic, oxidative, or reductive cleavage methods can produce good yields of monomeric phenols from relatively native (i.e., ‘uncondensed’) polymeric lignins under various ‘lignin-first’ scenarios; such products include the hydroxyphenylpropanols/propanes, hydroxybenzaldehydes, hydroxybenzoic acids and even hydroxycinnamyl alcohols or even hydroxycinnamaldehydes from novel processes. A variety of ‘clip-offs’ is also available from simple chemistry; these include all the acids found acylating cell wall polysaccharides and lignins, as well as a few of the phenolics that are incorporated into lignins by relatively simple means. All of these compounds should find wide applications if available in bulk at modest prices, and a few already have obvious uses today, such as in making Tylenol™ (paracetamol, acetaminophen) from <i>p</i>-hydroxybenzoate.

Useful monomeric products from lignins and ‘clip-offs’

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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