Degradation of β-O-4 model lignin species by vanadium Schiff-base catalysts: Influence of catalyst structure and reaction conditions on activity and selectivity

Abstract

In the pursuit of value-added products from the degradation of the abundant aromatic biopolymer lignin, homogeneous catalysis has the potential to provide a mild, selective route to monomeric phenols. Homogeneous vanadium catalysts have previously been shown to effectively cleave dimeric β-O-4 model lignin compounds, with selectivity for CC or CO cleavage, or benzylic oxidation, depending on the ligand structure and oxidation state of the metal. In this study, a systematic kinetic investigation was undertaken in order to gain further understanding of the role of ligand structure and reaction conditions on the activity of vanadium Schiff-base catalysts towards a non-phenolic β-O-4 model lignin dimer, and the selectivity of these species towards CO bond cleavage. Catalytic activity was found to be increased by the addition of bulky, alkyl substituents at the 3′-position of the phenolate ring, whereas electron-withdrawing substituents were found to dramatically reduce activity irrespective of their size. Selective depolymerization of a phenolic β-O-4 dimer was also achieved.