In the future, plant-based composite materials will be engineered for specific purposes through manipulation of lignin chemistry. We believe lignin will be the key because it is the most reactive polymer in lignocellulose, and because the theory of lignin acidolysis is an effective platform for lignin manipulation. Consequently, we have been studying lignin acidolysis, not for lignin removal, but for lignin reaction during thermal processing. Lignin acidolysis has two pathways, C2 and C3 cleavage. The relative occurrence, the C2/C3 ratio, is expected to have a significant impact on lignin structure and crosslinking. Our objective is to learn how lignin acidolysis, and the C2/C3 ratio, affects lignin properties in whole tissue. We will discuss the catalytic manipulation of the C2/C3 ratio, and the results from various chemical and spectroscopic methods used to judge the extent of lignin repolymerization. We will discuss aspects of promoting or preventing lignin repolymerization as a means for advanced materials.

Advanced materials through lignin acidolysis

ACS Spring 2022

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