Protection Group Effects During α,γ‐Diol Lignin Stabilization Promote High‐Selectivity Monomer Production

Abstract

Protection groups were introduced during biomass pretreatment to stabilize lignin's α,γ‐diol group during its extraction and prevent its condensation. Acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde stabilized the α,γ‐diol without any aromatic ring alkylation, which significantly increased final product selectivity. The subsequent hydrogenolysis catalyzed by Pd/C generated lignin monomers at near‐theoretical yields based on Klason lignin (48 % from birch, 20 % from spruce, 70 % from high‐syringyl transgenic poplar), and with high selectivity to a single 4‐n‐propanolsyringol product (80 %) in the case of the poplar. Unlike direct hydrogenation of native wood, hydrogenolysis of protected lignin with Ni/C also led to high selectivity to this single product (78 %), paving the way to high‐selectivity lignin upgrading with base metal catalysts. The use of extracted lignin facilitated valorization of polysaccharides, leading to high yields of all three major biomass polymers to a single major product.