Abstract
Energy and fuels derived from biomass pose lesser impact on the environmental carbon footprint than those derived from fossil fuels. In order for the biomass-to-energy and biomass-to-chemicals processes to play their important role in the loop of the circular economy, highly active, selective, and stable catalysts and the related efficient chemical processes are urgently needed. Lignin is the most thermal stable fraction of biomass and a particularly important resource for the production of chemicals and fuels. This mini review mainly focuses on lignin valorizations for renewable chemicals and fuels production and summarizes the recent interest in the lignin valorization over Ni and relevant bimetallic metal catalysts on various supports. Particular attention will be paid to those strategies to convert lignin to chemicals and fuels components, such as pyrolysis, hydrodeoxygenation, and hydrogenolysis. The review is written in a simple and elaborated way in order to draw chemists and engineers’ attention to Ni-based catalysts in lignin valorizations and guide them in designing innovative catalytic materials based on the lignin conversion reaction.
Highlights
Introduction & Scope of StudyClimate change due to anthropogenic CO2 emissions and continuous depletion of raw materials and energy resources are all major hurdles to sustainable development
Monometallic and bimetallic Ni metal catalysts had been extensively explored for the lignin valorizations to renewable chemicals and fuels over the past decade, with the use of various supports and various precious and non-noble metals (Fe, Co, Cu, Al, Pd1 Ni4 (Pd), Pt, Rh, Ru, Re, Nb, Mo, Au, Ag)
This review briefly introduced the representative examples in catalytic conversion of lignin into valuable products via the pyrolysis, HDO, and hydrogenolysis processes over Ni-based catalyst in recent achievements
Summary
Climate change due to anthropogenic CO2 emissions and continuous depletion of raw materials and energy resources are all major hurdles to sustainable development. Energy and fuels derived from biomass can have lesser impact on the environmental carbon footprint than those derived from fossil fuels, especially if the resources are from renewable biomasses, such as wood and herbaceous (lignocellulosic) biomasses, corncob, or straw biomasses, etc This is because even when the fuels are combusted, the CO2 emitted is offset and captured by the biomasses that produced the materials in the first place. Among the several transition metal catalysts, such as Ni, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Sn, Ni-based catalysts showed the best activities and product selectivity towards the valorizations of lignin to produce renewable chemicals and fuels. The literature based on the lignin valorizations over particular metal catalysts, such as Ni-based catalysts for renewable chemicals and fuels production, has not been covered yet and will be fully accounted in this review. The review is written in simple and elaborate way in order to draw chemists and engineers’ attention to Ni-based catalysts in lignin valorizations and guide them in designing innovative catalytic materials based on the reaction
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