A Review: Depolymerization of Lignin to Generate High-Value Bio-Products: Opportunities, Challenges, and Prospects

Lignin is identified as a promising candidate in renewable energy and bioproduct manufacturing due to its high abundance, polymeric structure, and biochemical properties of monomers. Thus, emerging opportunities exist in generating high-value small molecules from lignin through depolymerization. Thi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFrontiers in energy research Vol. 9
Main Authors Zhou, Ningning, Thilakarathna, W. P. D. Wass, He, Quan Sophia, Rupasinghe, H. P. Vasantha
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Frontiers Media S.A 11.01.2022
Subjects
depolymerization
ferulic acid
lignin
lignin-first biorefining
syringaldehyde
vanillin
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Summary:Lignin is identified as a promising candidate in renewable energy and bioproduct manufacturing due to its high abundance, polymeric structure, and biochemical properties of monomers. Thus, emerging opportunities exist in generating high-value small molecules from lignin through depolymerization. This review aims at providing an overview of the major technologies of lignin depolymerization. The feasibility of large-scale implementation of these technologies, including thermal, biological, and chemical depolymerizations, are discussed in relation to potential industrial applications. Lignin as a renewable alternative to petroleum-based chemicals has been well documented. This review attempts to emphasize potential applications of lignin-derived monomers and their derivatives as bioactives in food, natural health product, and pharmaceutical sectors. The critical review of the prospects and challenges of lignin-derived bioproducts reveals that the advancement of research and development is required to explore the applications of depolymerization of lignins to their full potential.
ISSN:2296-598X
2296-598X
DOI:10.3389/fenrg.2021.758744