Selective Copper-N-Heterocyclic Carbene (Copper-NHC)-Catalyzed Aerobic Cleavage of β-1 Lignin Models to Aldehydes

As fossil resources are undergoing fast depletion, the harvesting of sustainable aromatic compounds from biorenewable lignin has become highly appealing nowadays. However, the development of efficient catalysts for lignin depolymerization to high value-added chemicals is challenging. In this paper, a selective copper-N-heterocyclic carbene (copper-NHC)-catalyzed aerobic cleavage is reported for beta-1 lignin model compound, which represents an important family of natural wood lignin. Using this catalyst system, the cleavage of beta-1 model compounds gave >99% conversions and satisfactory yields of the corresponding aldehydes, which can serve as versatile starting materials for the chemical industry.