Stability of Methoxyl Groups in Wood and Lignin

Breakdown of lignins, lignin model compounds, and hydroxy-aromatics, to C1 and C2 chemicals via metal-free oxidation with peroxide or persulfate under mild conditions

“…The MeOH is not formed via hydrolysis in the basic conditions, consistent with a study showing that OMe substituents within aromatic Scheme 1 Generalized reaction scheme for oxidation of LMCs and lignins. compounds are stable toward hydrolysis in 20% NaOH at 100 C. 19 Nevertheless the MeOH likely derives from the OMe groups since the data for 2-4, which contain two OMe substituents, compared with those for 1 and 5 with one OMe, suggest a correlation between the number of OMe groups and MeOH production (and substrate consumption). Support for this is found in corresponding data for o-and p-ethoxyphenols which, with the H 2 O 2 /KOH treatment, generate EtOH and formate, analogous to the reactivity of 1.…”