a b s t r a c tA sulfonated poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) (Sty-DVB) was used for preparing bimetallic palladium-tin or palladium-indium catalysts by successive impregnation and catalytic reduction. The use of this acidic support allows increasing the selectivity to molecular nitrogen without external control of the pH, as compared to a classical alumina catalyst. The preparation by successive impregnation led to the most active and selective catalysts while the indium-based catalysts were more active for nitrate reduction and less selective to nitrogen than the tin-based ones. The best performances were obtained with the 5%Pd2.6%Sn/Sty-DVB prepared by successive impregnation. This finding was related to the role of the support in decreasing the final pH, as well as to the buffering properties of the support near the active metal sites.

A brief review has been herein done of technologies involved in the exploitation of lignin, in order to provide an introduction to the subject from the perspective of a fast technologically advancing economy. Lignocellulosic materials and biomass have historically been utilised from since time memorial, but a new conversation is emerging on the role of these materials in modern bioeconomies. This new discourse needs to help us understand how technologies for managing and processing lignocellulosic materials both as biosynthetic moieties, biogenic wastes or simply renewable biopolymer-both established and novel-should be deployed and integrated (or not) to meet developmental requirements of the sustainability paradigm. The world is caught in the middle of green technology advocating for more and more focus on renewable sources of manufacturing raw materials and that of the molecularly imprinted/synthesised or genetically engineered ones. The utilisation of lignins (from renewable sources) in both the industry as the base for the formulation of ionic liquids (with yet a wider industrial applications), and also is a potential scaffold material for functionally modified imprinted polymers (LCIPS) for the selective recovery of base metals and gold, respectively, evidently incorporates the bioeconomy aspirations.