Catalytic ethanolysis of Kraft lignin into high-value small-molecular chemicals over a nanostructured α-molybdenum carbide catalyst.

We report the complete ethanolysis of Kraft lignin over an α-MoC1-x /AC catalyst in pure ethanol at 280 °C to give high-value chemicals of low molecular weight with a maximum overall yield of the 25 most abundant liquid products (LP25) of 1.64 g per gram of lignin. The LP25 products consisted of C6 -C10 esters, alcohols, arenes, phenols, and benzyl alcohols with an overall heating value of 36.5 MJ kg(-1) . C6 alcohols and C8 esters predominated and accounted for 82 wt % of the LP25 products. No oligomers or char were formed in the process. With our catalyst, ethanol is the only effective solvent for the reaction. Supercritical ethanol on its own degrades Kraft lignin into a mixture of small molecules and molecular fragments of intermediate size with molecular weights in the range 700-1400, differing in steps of 58 units, which is the weight of the branched-chain linkage C3 H6 O in lignin. Hydrogen was found to have a negative effect on the formation of the low-molecular-weight products.

Alumina supported molybdenum catalyst for lignin valorization: Effect of reduction temperature.

Alumina supported molybdenum catalysts were prepared with an impregnation method. The activity of the catalyst in the ethanolysis of Kraft lignin to C6-C11 molecules, i.e. alcohols, esters, monophenols, benzyl alcohols and arenes, was tested in a batch reactor at 280 °C with initial 0 MPa nitrogen. The complete conversion of lignin to small molecular chemicals was achieved without the formation of tar or char. The reduction temperature during the catalyst preparation was proved to have a profound effect on the activity of the catalyst. The overall product yield firstly increases and then decreases with the increase of the reduction temperature in a range of 500-800 °C. The maximum yield up to 1390 mg/g lignin was obtained with the catalyst reduced at 750 °C. Furthermore, the catalyst showed an excellent recyclability, where no significant loss of the catalytic activity was exhibited after 5 runs.