Selective monophenol and alkylphenol production in Organosolv lignin depolymerization: The role of acid sites on Pd-based catalysts
Abstract
This work studies the influence of acid sites on the catalytic depolymerization of Organosolv lignins using Pd supported on TiO 2 and Nb 2 O 5 . The reactions were conducted in ethanol at 250 • C under 40 bar of H 2 . Catalystfree depolymerization of Organosolv lignin produces the compounds derived from the primary monolignols (coniferyl, sinapyl alcohol) constituents of the lignin structure. The yield of monophenols depends on the type of lignocellulosic biomass, with beech wood yielding the highest amount. The degree of depolymerization of wheat straw and beech lignins significantly increases in the presence of a Pd/TiO 2 catalyst. The yield to monophenols follows the order: eucalyptus (7.6%) < wheat straw (30.9%) < beech (37.7%). Pd/TiO 2 catalyst promoted the hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis of monomers formed in the solvolysis of lignin with ethanol. Pd/Nb 2 O 5 catalyst exhibits different product distribution, with the formation of monophenols as well as alkylphenols. The change in product distribution is likely due to the higher acidity and the presence of Brønsted acid sites of the Pd/ Nb 2 O 5 catalyst. A reaction mechanism is proposed for the depolymerization of Organosolv lignins with both catalysts.
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BibTeX
@article{paiva2026selective,
title = {{Selective monophenol and alkylphenol production in Organosolv lignin depolymerization: The role of acid sites on Pd-based catalysts}},
author = {Mateus Freitas Paiva and Affolabi Abdel-Aziz Tidjani and Raphaela Azevedo Rafael and Priscilla Magalhães de Souza and Raimundo Crisóstomo Rabelo-Neto and Yann Le Brech and Marc Bria and Cristiane Assumpção Henriques and Guillaume Vanhove and Fábio Bellot Noronha and Robert Wojcieszak},
journal = {Catalysis Today},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.cattod.2026.116014},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05779580v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Selective monophenol and alkylphenol production in Organosolv lignin depolymerization: The role of acid sites on Pd-based catalysts
AU - Mateus Freitas Paiva
AU - Affolabi Abdel-Aziz Tidjani
AU - Raphaela Azevedo Rafael
AU - Priscilla Magalhães de Souza
AU - Raimundo Crisóstomo Rabelo-Neto
AU - Yann Le Brech
AU - Marc Bria
AU - Cristiane Assumpção Henriques
AU - Guillaume Vanhove
AU - Fábio Bellot Noronha
AU - Robert Wojcieszak
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/05
JO - Catalysis Today
DO - 10.1016/j.cattod.2026.116014
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05779580v1
AB - This work studies the influence of acid sites on the catalytic depolymerization of Organosolv lignins using Pd supported on TiO 2 and Nb 2 O 5 . The reactions were conducted in ethanol at 250 • C under 40 bar of H 2 . Catalystfree depolymerization of Organosolv lignin produces the compounds derived from the primary monolignols (coniferyl, sinapyl alcohol) constituents of the lignin structure. The yield of monophenols depends on the type of lignocellulosic biomass, with beech wood yielding the highest amount. The degree of depolymerization of wheat straw and beech lignins significantly increases in the presence of a Pd/TiO 2 catalyst. The yield to monophenols follows the order: eucalyptus (7.6%) < wheat straw (30.9%) < beech (37.7%). Pd/TiO 2 catalyst promoted the hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis of monomers formed in the solvolysis of lignin with ethanol. Pd/Nb 2 O 5 catalyst exhibits different product distribution, with the formation of monophenols as well as alkylphenols. The change in product distribution is likely due to the higher acidity and the presence of Brønsted acid sites of the Pd/ Nb 2 O 5 catalyst. A reaction mechanism is proposed for the depolymerization of Organosolv lignins with both catalysts.
SN - 0920-5861
ER -