Lignin pyrolysis is a promising method for the sustainable production of phenolic compounds from biomass. However, detailed knowledge about the radicals involved in this process and their influence on the molecular products is missing. Herein, we report on the pyrolysis of hard- and softwood Klason lignins under inert gas conditions in a temperature range between 350-550 °C. During the pyrolysis process, the formed radicals were detected by in situ high-temperature electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The overall formation of volatile products during lignin pyrolysis was determined using thermogravimetric analysis. The volatile molecular products were characterized and quantified using GC-MS analysis. Major differences were observed between hardwood and softwood lignins. Hardwood lignins form more radicals and volatile products than softwood lignins at temperatures from 350 to 450 °C. In the late stages of the pyrolysis process at 550 °C radical quenching reactions become dominant in hardwood lignins. We identified the disproportionation of two semiquinone radicals to quinone and hydroquinone species as the most likely quenching reaction. Our results show that both the pyrolysis temperature and the type of lignin source have a major influence on radical formation and the molecular products during the depolymerization of lignin.

Self-metathesis of undecenoic acid with [(PCy3)2Cl2Ru=CHPh] (2), followed by exhaustive hydrogenation yielded pure 1,20-eicosanedioic acid (5) (>99%) free of side-products from isomerization. Polycondensation with eicosane-1,20-diol (6), formed by reduction of the diol, yielded polyester 20,20 (Tm = 108 °C). By comparison, the known ADMET polymerization of undec-10-enyl undec-10-enoate (7), and subsequent exhaustive polymer-analogous hydrogenation yielded a polyester (poly-8) with irregular structure of the ester groups in the polymer chain (-O(C=O)- vs. -C(=O)O-) (Tm = 103 °C). Hydrogenation of secondary dispersions of poly-7 yielded aqueous dispersions of the long-chain aliphatic polyester poly-8.

The radical concentrations and g factors of stable organic radicals in different lignin preparations were determined by X-band EPR at 9 GHz. We observed that the g factors of these radicals are largely determined by the extraction process and not by the botanical origin of the lignin. The parameter mostly influencing the g factor is the pH value during lignin extraction. This effect was studied in depth using high-field EPR spectroscopy at 263 GHz. We were able to determine the gxx, gyy, and gzz components of the g tensor of the stable organic radicals in lignin. With the enhanced resolution of high-field EPR, distinct radical species could be found in this complex polymer. The radical species are assigned to substituted o-semiquinone radicals and can exist in different protonation states SH3+, SH2, SH1-, and S2-. The proposed model structures are supported by DFT calculations. The g principal values of the proposed structure were all in reasonable agreement with the experiments.

No abstract

Magnetic moustaches: Inorganic surfactants (I-SURFs) with head groups containing Dy(3+) undergo a hierarchical self-organization cascade controlled by magnetic interactions. The resulting aggregates are shaped like dumbbells with frayed, moustache-like ends.

Lignin from lignocellulosic biomass is a promising source of energy, fuels, and chemicals. The conversion of the polymeric lignin to fuels and chemicals can be achieved by catalytic and noncatalytic pyrolysis. The influence of nonporous silica and zeolite catalysts, such as silicalite, HZSM5, and HUSY, on the radical and volatile product formation during lignin pyrolysis was studied by in situ high-temperature electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (HTEPR) as well as GC-MS. Higher radical concentrations were observed in the samples containing zeolite compared to the sample containing only lignin, which suggests that there is a stabilizing effect by the inorganic surfaces on the formed radical fragments. This effect was observed for nonporous silica as well as for HUSY, HZSM5, and silicalite zeolite catalysts. However, the effect is far larger for the zeolites owing to their higher specific surface area. The zeolites also showed an effect on the volatile product yield and the product distribution within the volatile phase. Although silicalite showed no effect on the product selectivity, the acidic zeolites such as HZSM5 or HUSY increased the formation of deoxygenated products such as benzene, toluene, xylene (BTX), and naphthalene.

Front Cover: The cover image shows a castor plant. It is a source of ricinoleic acid, which is pyrolyzed to undecenoic acid. Sequences of olefin metathesis, hydrogenation and (poly)esterification yield long‐chain aliphatic polyesters. Their crystallinity and melting points originate from the long methylene sequences of the renewable starting material. Further details can be found in the article by J. Trzaskowski, D. Quinzler, C. Bährle, S. Mecking* .

Conversion of lignin into renewable and value-added chemicals by thermal processes, especially pyrolysis, receives great attention. The products may serve as feedstock for chemicals and fuels and contribute to the development of a sustainable society. However, the application of lignin conversion is limited by the low selectivity from lignin to the desired products. The opportunities for catalysis to selectively convert lignin into useful chemicals by catalytic fast pyrolysis and our efforts to elucidate the mechanism of lignin pyrolysis are discussed. Possible research directions will be identified.