A guide to lignin valorization in biorefineries


November 21, 2023

Lignin is the most abundant source of renewable aromatics on Earth; yet its enormous potential remains largely underexploited in current biorefinery and pulping processes. Most large-scale industrial processes that use plant polysaccharides from lignocellulose used to burn lignin to generate power. With the advent of the integrated biorefinery concept, more lignin is being produced and therefore efforts are underway to transform it to value-added products: materials, fuels, and chemicals. Our group published a tutorial review on the topic (open access in RSC Sustainability). This didactical, systematic and nicely illustrated paper provides a comprehensive overview of the technologies that are available or emerging for lignocellulose pretreatment, for lignin isolation and valorization, and for lignin depolymerization and valorization of the monomers. This will be a very valuable starting point for newcomers in the field, but also a goldmine for researchers who are already into it, and a nice and refreshing viewpoint for experts. Credits to Dr. Filippo Brienza for the amazing work he has been doing on this, during (and after his PhD). 
Guide to lignin valorization, Brienza Debecker RSC Sustainability review

Check out the research papers from the group, on the topic: 


A guide to lignin valorization in biorefineries: traditional, recent, and forthcoming approaches to convert raw lignocellulose into valuable materials and chemicals


F. Brienza, D. Cannella, D. Montesdeoca, I. Cybulska, D.P. Debecker

RSC Sustain., vol. 2(1), RSC, 2024, pp. 37-90




Toward a Hydrogen-Free Reductive Catalytic Fractionation of Wheat Straw Biomass


F. Brienza, K. Van Aelst, F. Devred, D. Magnin, B.F. Sels, P. Gerin, I. Cybulska, D.P. Debecker

ChemSusChem, vol. 16(13), 2023, pp. e202300103


Reductive Catalytic Fractionation of Wheat Straw Biomass


F. Brienza, K. Van Aelst, F. Devred, D. Magnin, B.F. Sels, P.A. Gerin, I. Cybulska, D.P. Debecker

ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, vol. 10, 2022, pp. 11130-11142


Unleashing lignin potential through the dithionite-assisted organosolv fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass


F. Brienza, K. Van Aelst, F. Devred, D. Magnin, M. Tschulkow, P. Nimmegeers, S. Van Passel, B.F. Sels, P. Gerin, D.P. Debecker, I. Cybulska

Chemical Engineering Journal, vol. 450, 2022, p. 138179


Enhancing lignin depolymerizationviaa dithionite-assisted organosolv fractionation of birch sawdust


F. Brienza, K. Van Aelst, K. Thielemans, B.F. Sels, D.P. Debecker, I. Cybulska

Green Chemistry, vol. 23, 2021, pp. 3268-3276

And collaborative works:

Selective nickel-catalyzed conversion of model and lignin-derived phenolic compounds to cyclohexanone-based polymer building blocks


W. Schutyser, S. Van Den Bosch, J. Dijkmans, S. Turner, M. Meledina, G. Van Tendeloo, D.P. Debecker, B.F. Sels

ChemSusChem, vol. 8, 2015, pp. 1805-1818

Tertiary Amines from RCF Lignin Mono- and Dimers: Catalytic N-Functionalized Antioxidants from Wood


D. Ruijten, T. Narmon, K. Van Aelst, H. De Weer, R. van der Zweep, T. Hendrickx, C. Poleunis, L. Li, K.M. Van Geem, D.P. Debecker, B.F. Sels

ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, vol. 11, 2023, pp. 4776-4788


Hydrogen Borrowing: towards Aliphatic Tertiary Amines from Lignin Model Compounds Using a Supported Copper Catalyst


D. Ruijten, T. Narmon, H. De Weer, R. van der Zweep, C. Poleunis, D.P. Debecker, B.U.W. Maes, B.F. Sels

ChemSusChem, vol. 15, 2022

Miscible raw lignin/nylon 6 blends: Thermal and mechanical performances


N. Sallem-Idrissi, M. Sclavons, D.P. Debecker, J. Devaux

Journal of Applied Polymer Science, vol. 133, 2016


Lignin degradation and stability: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) analysis throughout processing


N. Sallem-Idrissi, C. Vanderghem, T. Pacary, A. Richel, D.P. Debecker, J. Devaux, M. Sclavons

Polymer Degradation and Stability, vol. 130, 2016, pp. 30-37


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