Exploration of microwave absorptivity and catalysis of CMF@Co-MoS2 for microwave-initiated depolymerization of lignin

Abstract

Obtaining key platform chemicals from lignin is a sustainable refining concept of the non-petroleum route. Rapid pyrolysis is a potential refining technology, and microwave-assisted catalytic depolymerization with low energy consumption is preferred. Herein, we reported the strategy of microwave-initiated depolymerization using a self-designed dynamic vapor flow reaction system with a facilely prepared CMF@Co-MoS2-0.18 catalyst, achieving efficient conversion of lignin (Dealkalize) to monophenol. Under constant microwave irradiation (2.45 GHz), the CMF@Co-MoS2-0.18 catalyst had excellent dielectric properties (Dielectric loss factor: 0.56) and microwave heating properties (∼140 s rise to ∼ 600℃). Therefore, microwave-initiated depolymerization of lignin showed that the CMF@Co-MoS2-0.18 catalyst can improve the monophenol content (54.72 %) and phenol selectivity (35.84 %) under the synergistic effect of microwave absorptivity and catalysis. The reaction of the lignin model and kinetics analysis show that the CMF@Co-MoS2-0.18 catalyst increases the yield of monophenol by reducing depolymerization activation energy and selectively breaking the β-O-4 bond. The finite element analysis pointed out that under microwave irradiation, CMF@Co-MoS2-0.18 continuously conducted heat to lignin and the lignin vapor would have sufficient energy to collide with the catalyst active site at a high frequency, which led to an increase in the pre-exponential factor and initiated catalytic depolymerization lignin. In summary, we provide a potential pathway for the rapid conversion of lignin into key platform chemicals.