Catalytic depolymerization of organic extraction pine lignin over Ni/MLG coupled with NaOH for aromatic monomer production

Xu Ying; Gong Meiziya; Zhou Lie; Huang Yuanbo; Zhang Xiaodong; Shu Riyang

doi:null

Your Location：

Home >

Browse articles >

Catalytic depolymerization of organic extraction pine lignin over Ni/MLG coupled with NaOH for aromatic monomer production

Updated：2026-08-24

- Catalytic depolymerization of organic extraction pine lignin over Ni/MLG coupled with NaOH for aromatic monomer production
- Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol. 94, Issue 6, Pages: 249-258(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  College of Mechanical Equipment and Mechanical Engineering, Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Energy Clean Utilization and Development, Fujian Province Clean Combustion and Energy Utilization Research Center, Jimei University, Xiamen 316021, China
  Academy of Advanced Carbon Conversion Technology, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, China
  Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
  Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Soft Condensed Matter, School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Author bio：
  
  Corresponding author. E-mail address: shuriyang@gdut.edu.cn(R. Shu)
- Funds：
- DOI：
  CLC：
- Received：29 September 2025，
  
  Revised：2026-01-12，
  
  Accepted：13 January 2026，
  
  Online First：25 March 2026，
  
  Published：2026-06
- Accepted：
Scan QR Code
Xu Ying, Gong Meiziya, Zhou Lie, et al. Catalytic depolymerization of organic extraction pine lignin over Ni/MLG coupled with NaOH for aromatic monomer production[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2026, 94(6): 249-258.
DOI：

Xu Ying, Gong Meiziya, Zhou Lie, et al. Catalytic depolymerization of organic extraction pine lignin over Ni/MLG coupled with NaOH for aromatic monomer production[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2026, 94(6): 249-258. DOI：

摘要

Abstract

In order to advance the development of biomass energy chemical field and to increase the utilization efficiency of lignin for valuable chemicals

this study explored the whole process from lignin extraction to depolymerization using pine wood flour as raw material for the production of aromatic monomers. The efficient extraction of lignin from pine wood flour was achieved in 1

4-butanediol solvent at 170℃

which then was converted to aromatic monomers successfully under the synergistic catalysis of Ni/MLG and NaOH. The usage of 1

4-butanediol extracting pine flour lignin enables to protect the guaiacyl (G) units and prevent the recombination of C―C bonds in the lignin fragments. And the synergistic effect of Ni/MLG and NaOH catalysts can efficiently hydrogenolyze not only lignin feedstock but also lignin oligomer fragments into aromatic monomers

enhancing the yield significantly. As a result

97.5% lignin conversion and 36.9% yield of aromatic monomers are obtained at 280℃

with the carbon deposition rate below 6.7%

which is much superior to other Ni-based carbon catalysts and other alkaline catalysts. The major aromatic monomers include guaiacols

syringols

and

-hydroxyphenols

and they are promising for subsequent product purification and application as high value chemicals. This study not only proposes an effective way for the utilization of lignin

but also provides valuable reference for the development of biomass energy chemical field.

关键词

Keywords

references

J.Y. Wang, J.Y. Fu, Z.T. Zhao, L.F. Bing, F.M. Xi, F. Wang, J. Dong, S.Y. Wang, G. Lin, Y. Yin, Q.Q. Hu, Benefit analysis of multi-approach biomass energy utilization toward carbon neutrality, Innovation 4 (3) (2023) 100423.

S.H. Mohr, J. Wang, G. Ellem, J. Ward, D. Giurco, Projection of world fossil fuels by country, Fuel 141 (2015) 120-135.

L.Z. Huang, C.K. Zhao, Z.G. Gong, X.L. Luo, Y. Xu, L. Shuai, Manipulation of lignin condensation pathways to produce different bisphenols from biomass, Innovation 6 (10) (2025) 100997.

Z.Q. Fang, C.Y. Wen, X.H. Zhang, L.G. Chen, Q. Zhang, J.G. Liu, L.L. Ma, Advance, challenge, and outlook of carbon-increasing strategies for producing sustainable high-energy-density jet fuels from lignocellulosic derivatives, Innov. Energy 2 (3) (2025) 100093.

Y.R. Cui, Y. Xu, X.M. Zhang, Z.L. Li, Sustainable aviation fuel: biomass fostered future aviation, Innov. Energy 1 (1) (2024) 100007.

I. Delidovich, P.J.C. Hausoul, L. Deng, R. Pfützenreuter, M. Rose, R. Palkovits, Alternative monomers based on lignocellulose and their use for polymer production, Chem. Rev. 116 (3) (2016) 1540-1599.

J. Kim, S. Pahari, J. Ryu, M.R. Zhang, Q. Yang, C.G. Yoo, J.S. Kwon, Advancing biomass fractionation with real-time prediction of lignin content and MWd:a kMC-based multiscale model for optimized lignin extraction, Chem. Eng. J. 479 (2024) 147226.

M. Garedew, D. Young-Farhat, J.E. Jackson, C.M. Saffron, Electrocatalytic upgrading of phenolic compounds observed after lignin pyrolysis, ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 7 (9) (2019) 8375-8386.

Z.H. Sun, B. Fridrich, A. de Santi, S. Elangovan, K. Barta, Bright side of lignin depolymerization: toward new platform chemicals, Chem. Rev. 118 (2) (2018) 614-678.

S. Sharma, P. Nargotra, V. Sharma, R. Bangotra, M. Kaur, N. Kapoor, S. Paul, B. K. Bajaj, Nanobiocatalysts for efficacious bioconversion of ionic liquid pretreated sugarcane tops biomass to biofuel, Bioresour. Technol. 333 (2021) 125191.

V. Sharma, M.L. Tsai, P. Nargotra, C.W. Chen, P.P. Sun, R.R. Singhania, A.K. Patel, C.D. Dong, Journey of lignin from a roadblock to bridge for lignocellulose biorefineries: a comprehensive review, Sci. Total Environ. 861 (2023) 160560.

R.Y. Shu, Y. Chen, Y.K. Lin, Y.Y. Deng, Y. Liu, K.X. Li, T. Yin, Z.Q. Ma, J.X. Long, Synergistic effects of Ni-Ni 3 P and Lewis-Brønsted acid for enhanced hydrodeoxygenation of phenolic compounds over Ni-Ni 3 P/ZrP, Appl. Catal. B Environ. Energy 383 (2026) 126096.

S.S. Wong, R.Y. Shu, J.G. Zhang, H.C. Liu, N. Yan, Downstream processing of lignin derived feedstock into end products, Chem. Soc. Rev. 49 (15) (2020) 5510-5560.

D.L. Huang, R.J. Li, P. Xu, T. Li, R. Deng, S. Chen, Q. Zhang, The cornerstone of realizing lignin value-addition: exploiting the native structure and properties of lignin by extraction methods, Chem. Eng. J. 402 (2020) 126237.

K.Y. Li, H.Y. Xu, Y.R. Liu, W. Zhong, Y.C. Jin, W.J. Wu, Exploring the relationship between lignin structure and antioxidant property using lignin model compounds, Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 282 (Pt 1) (2024) 136786.

Z.W. Wang, P.J. Deuss, The isolation of lignin with native-like structure, Biotechnol. Adv. 68 (2023) 108230.

J.J. Liao, N.H.A. Latif, D. Trache, N. Brosse, M.H. Hussin, Current advancement on the isolation, characterization and application of lignin, Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 162 (2020) 985-1024.

Y. Xu, P.R. Chen, W. Lv, C.G. Wang, L.L. Ma, Q. Zhang, Hydrogenolysis of organosolv hydrolyzed lignin over high-dispersion Ni/Al-SBA-15 catalysts for phenolic monomers, Chin. J. Chem. Eng. 32 (2021) 307-314.

C.B. Cheng, P.F. Li, W.B. Yu, D.K. Shen, S. Gu, Catalytic hydrogenolysis of lignin in ethanol/isopropanol over an activated carbon supported nickel-copper catalyst, Bioresour. Technol. 319 (2021) 124238.

Y. Xu, D.L. Wang, B.W. Luo, X.D. Zhang, Y.B. Huang, H.H. Zhuang, R.Y. Shu, Boosting aromatic monomer yield of lignin hydrogenolysis by using Co/C coupled with NaOH catalyst, Renew. Energy 240 (2025) 122239.

J. Ralph, C. Lapierre, W. Boerjan, Lignin structure and its engineering, Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 56 (2019) 240-249.

X. Li, H.Y. Wang, K. Alorku, J. Wang, L.L. Ma, Y. Xu, Efficient hydrogenolysis of lignin model compounds and lignin by Ni-M/C and NaOH synergistic catalysis, Fuel 364 (2024) 131135.

L.M. Wang, G.Y. Li, X.M. Chen, Y.F. Yang, R.K. Liew, H.M. Abo-Dief, S.S. Lam, R. Sellami, W.X. Peng, H.Y. Li, Extraction strategies for lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose to obtain valuable products from biomas s, Adv. Compos. Hybrid Mater. 7 (6) (2024) 219.

M. Kienberger, S. Maitz, T. Pichler, P. Demmelmayer, Systematic review on isolation processes for technical lignin, Processes 9 (5) (2021) 804.

J.Y. Yun, L. Wei, W. Li, D.Q. Gong, H.Y. Qin, X.J. Feng, G.J. Li, Z. Ling, P. Wang, B. S. Yin, Isolating high antimicrobial ability lignin from bamboo kraft lignin by organosolv fractionation, Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. 9 (2021) 683796.

D.S. Zijlstra, A. de Santi, B. Oldenburger, J. de Vries, K. Barta, P.J. Deuss, Extraction of lignin with high β-O-4 content by mild ethanol extraction and its effect on the depolymerization yield, J. Vis. Exp. 143 (2019) e58575.

Z. Sun, M. Niu, Extraction of lignin from luffa cylindrica using high-boiling point solvent method, J. Dalian Polytech. Univ. 39 (4) (2020) 270-275.

Y.X. Li, S.X. Hou, Q.Y. Wei, X.S. Ma, Y.S. Qu, Effect of alkali and 1, 4-butanediol contents on the extraction of lignin and lignin-based activated carbon, ACS Omega 6 (50) (2021) 34386-34394.

L. Chen, Z.M. Liang, X.X. Zhang, L.M. Zhang, S.F. Wang, C.Z. Chen, L. Zeng, D.Y. Min, A facile and novel lignin isolation procedure-methanolic hydrochloric acid treatment at ambient temperature, Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 222(2022)1423-1432.

D.L. Wang, W.J. Wang, W. Lv, Y. Xu, J.G. Liu, H.Y. Wang, C.G. Wang, L.L. Ma, The protection of C- O bond of pine lignin in different organic solvent systems, ChemistrySelect 5 (13) (2020) 3850-3858.

H.T. Jiang, M.X. Liu, X. Lian, M.X. Zhu, F. Zhang, CsPbBr(3)quantumdots promoted depolymerization of oxidized lignin via photocatalytic semi-hydrogenation/reduction strategy, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 63 (7) (2024) e202318850.

C. Chio, M. Sain, W.S. Qin, Lignin utilization: a review of lignin depolymerization from various aspects, Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 107 (2019) 232-249.

X.L. Mei, H.Z. Liu, H.H. Wu, W. Wu, B.X. Zheng, Y.N. Liu, X.R. Zheng, Y.Q. Wang, W.Y. Han, B.X. Han, Catalytic self-transfer hydrogenolysis of lignin over Ni/C catalysts, Green Chem. 26 (8) (2024) 4544-4551.

C.Z. Li, X.C. Zhao, A.Q. Wang, G.W. Huber, T. Zhang, Catalytic transformation of lignin for the production of chemicals and fuels, Chem. Rev. 115 (21) (2015) 11559-11624.

Y.D. Wang, M.Y. Wu, X.F. Bai, PdRu/SBA15 catalysts for hydrogen storage by reversible N-ethylcarbazole hydrogenation/dehydrogenation reactions, Fuel 358 (2024) 130284.

J. Dobrzyńska, K. Morlo, R. Olchowski, R. Dobrowolski, Modified CMK-3 carbon materials for efficient removal of roxarsone, Appl. Surf. Sci. 674 (2024) 160934.

Y. Xia, L.Y. Liu, J.T. Huang, F.Q. Wang, J.Y. Bao, Z. Chen, J.B. Qiu, H.Y. Yang, R.Y. Luo, A new strategy to prepare MLG-SiCw/SiCp composites via three-roll milling exfoliation and catalytical-conversion for advanced refractories, Ceram. Int. 50 (23) (2024) 49853-49861.

Z.Q. Yuan, J.X. Long, T.J. Wang, R.Y. Shu, Q. Zhang, L.L. Ma, Process intensification effect of ball milling on the hydrothermal pretreatment for corn straw enzymolysis, Energy Convers. Manag. 101 (2015) 481-488.

H. Luo, M.M. Abu-Omar, Lignin extraction and catalytic upgrading from genetically modified poplar, Green Chem. 20 (3) (2018) 745-753.

H.X. Fang, X.Y. Xie, Q.L. Chu, W.Y. Tong, K. Song, Modified 1, 4-butanediol organosolv pretreatment on hardwoodandsoftwood for efficient coproduction of fermentable sugars and lignin antioxidants, Bioresour. Technol. 376 (2023) 128854.

X.S. Zhang, K.J. Wang, F.Q. Liu, G. Kong, G.Y. Ji, Y. Jiang, G.Y. Zhang, Q. Liu, Q. Cheng, T.Q. Cao, H.K. Liu, X. Zhang, L.J. Han, Upcycling of hazardous plastic waste by CO 2 transformation-enhanced steam reforming over MgO-promoted Ni/C bifunctional catalyst, Chem. Eng. J. 484 (2024) 149644.

L. de Castro-Alves, S. Yáñez-Vilar, M.A. González-Goméz, P. Garcia-Acevedo, Á. Arnosa-Prieto, Y. Piñeiro-Redondo, J. Rivas, Understanding adsorption mechanisms and metal ion selectivity of superparamagnetic beads with mesoporous CMK-3 carbon and commercial activated carbon, Microporous Mesoporous Mater. 374 (2 024) 113159.

M. García-Rollán, S. Bertran-Llorens, M.A. Palazzolo, P.J. Deuss, H.J. Heeres, R. Ruiz-Rosas, J.M. Rosas, J. Rodriguez-Mirasol, T. Cordero, Lignin hydrotreatment to aromatics products on metallic phosphides carbon-based catalysts produced from lignin, Fuel 390 (2025) 134622.

W.B. Yu, C.B. Cheng, D.K. Shen, S. Gu, K.H. Luo, Hydrogen transfer hydrogenolysis of organosolv Chinese fir lignin to monophenols over NiZnAlOx catalyst, Energy Fuels 36 (24) (2022) 15004-15012.

B.C. Yan, X.Y. Lin, Z.H. Chen, Q.J. Cai, S.P. Zhang, Selective production of phenolic monomers via high efficient lignin depolymerization with a carbon based nickel-iron-molybdenum carbide catalyst under mild conditions, Bioresour. Technol. 321 (2021) 124503.

L.P. Kong, L.L. Zhang, J.L. Gu, L. Gou, L.F. Xie, Y.Y. Wang, L.Y. Dai, Catalytic hydrotreatment of kraft lignin into aromatic alcohols over nickel-rhenium supported on niobium oxide catalyst, Bioresour. Technol. 299 (2020) 122582.

X. Besse, Y. Schuurman, N. Guilhaume, Reactivity of lignin model compounds through hydrogen transfer catalysis in ethanol/water mixtures, Appl. Catal. B Environ. 209 (2017) 265-272.

P. Aguillón-Rodríguez, O. Pérez-Reyes, C. Ortiz-Cervantes, Hydrogenolysis of lignin and Lignin-based molecules catalyzed by nickel and Sc(OTf) 3 , Results Chem. 5 (2023) 100729.

R.Y. Shu, J.X . Long, Y. Xu, L.L. Ma, Q. Zhang, T.J. Wang, C.G. Wang, Z.Q. Yuan, Q.Y. Wu, Investigation on the structural effect of lignin during the hydrogenolysis process, Bioresour. Technol. 200 (2016) 14-22.

J.X. Long, Y. Xu, T.J. Wang, Z.Q. Yuan, R.Y. Shu, Q. Zhang, L.L. Ma, Efficient base-catalyzed decomposition and in situ hydrogenolysis process for lignin depolymerization and char elimination, Appl. Energy 141 (2015) 70-79.

X. Li, Y. Liu, W.J. Wang, J. Wang, K. Alorku, Q.Y. Liu, L.L. Ma, Y. Xu, Effect of solvent systems on the synergistic catalytic hydrogenolysis of alkaline lignin over Pd/C-NaOH, Fuel 349 (2023) 128570.

Views

Downloads

CSCD

Alert me when the article has been cited

Submit

Tools

Publicity Resources

Research progress on the copper-based catalyst design for dimethyl oxalate hydrogenation to ethylene glycol

Cost-effective bifunctional lignin-derived carbon supported tin oxide with efficient production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from glucose

Enhanced selective hydrogenation of glycolaldehyde to ethylene glycol over Cu0-Cu+ sites

Tandem hydroalkylation and deoxygenation of lignin-derived phenolics to synthesize high-density fuels

Auto-thermal reforming of acetic acid for hydrogen production by ZnxNiyCrOm±δ catalysts: Effect of Cr promoted Ni-Zn intermetallic compound

Related Author

Hansheng Wang

Xintian Luo

Kaixuan Chen

Benduan Xiao

Xu Zhang

Qingjun Meng

Huibing He

Jing Xu

Related Institution

Guangxi Key Laboratory of Petrochemical Resource Processing and Process Intensification Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University

Guangxi Huayi Energy Chemical Co., Ltd., No. 1 Haitun Rd, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

State Key Laboratory of Featured Metal Materials and Life-cycle Safety for Composite Structures, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University

College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University

Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomass Low-Carbon Conversion, Huaqiao University

⁰