Metal/acid bifunctional catalysts for the reductive catalytic fractionation of lignocellulose into phenols and holocellulose

Mongolian oak (MO), a lignocellulosic biomass feedstock comprising lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose, was fractionated via reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF) into holocellulose-rich solid residue and lignin-derived phenol-rich liquid oil. To achieve an economically feasible RCF process, tungstate-zirconia (WZr)-supported metal catalysts, exhibiting bifunctionalities of hydrogen-adsorbing metal and acidic WZr, were used for depolymerizing and valorizing lignocellulose, and their catalytic activity was found to be highly dependent on the deposited metal. Ru/WZr exhibited excellent fractioning ability, achieving a maximum yield of 23.6 wt% of monomeric and dimeric compounds from MO and exhibiting the potential to be techno-economically viable. The superior activity of Ru/WZr can be attributed to the synergistic effects of metal and acid, which were studied by investigating the product distributions of aromatic small molecules depending on the properties of WZrsupported metal catalysts. The stabilization of reactive radical intermediates depending on the surface Bronsted acidity of acid catalysts and hydrogen-adsorbing ability of metals were also investigated. RCF reaction conditions were optimized for the maximum yield of monomeric compounds, which can be beneficial for the further development of industrial processes.

Automated summary

In this study, Mongolian oak lignocellulosic biomass was fractionated into solid residue and liquid oil via reductive catalytic fractionation. The Ru/WZr catalyst exhibited superior fractioning ability and catalytic activity, thanks to the synergistic effects of metal and acid. The reaction conditions were also optimized for maximizing the yield of monomeric compounds.