Photoreforming for Lignin Upgrading: A Critical Review

Photoreforming of lignocellulosic biomass to simultaneously produce gas fuels and value-added chemicals has gradually emerged as a promising strategy to alleviate the fossil fuels crisis. Compared to cellulose and hemicellulose, the exploitation and utilization of lignin via photoreforming are still at the early and more exciting stages. This Review systematically summarizes the latest progress on the photoreforming of lignin-derived model components and real lignin, aiming to provide insights for lignin photocatalytic valorization from fundamental to industrial applications. Considering the complexity of lignin physicochemical properties, related analytic methods are also introduced to characterize lignin photocatalytic conversion and product distribution. We finally put forward the challenges and perspective of lignin photoreforming, hoping to provide some guidance to valorize biomass into value-added chemicals and fuels via a mild photoreforming process in the future.

Automated summary

Photoreforming of lignocellulosic biomass to produce gas fuels and value-added chemicals is a promising strategy to address the fossil fuels crisis. Although the utilization of lignin via photoreforming is still in the early stages, it has exciting potential. This review summarizes the latest progress in the photoreforming of lignin-derived components and real lignin, providing insights for lignin photocatalytic valorization and introducing analytic methods for characterizing the conversion and distribution of lignin products. The challenges and perspectives of lignin photoreforming are also discussed, aiming to guide the future valorization of biomass into valuable chemicals and fuels through mild photoreforming processes.