Seminar
Seminar given by Margherita Gallinella (Department of Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Engineering, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia), titled "Lignin oxidation".
Abstract
The shortage of non-renewable petroleum-based chemical resources has led to seek new sustainable
resources; there is increased interest in the conversion and valorisation of biomass, particularly
lignocellulose. In this case of study, the aim is to oxidize lignin extracted from kraft black
liquor (KBL) with heterogeneous catalysts made of non-noble metals, in particular iron and copper.
KBL is a second-generation biomass readily available from pulp and paper industries, making its
conversion to highly valuable products like aromatics (vanillin, for example) and oligomers a highly
interesting research area. Both products can be used as building blocks for organic synthesis and
materials. Hence, identifying a pathway for green lignin oxidation could help the transition process
to a more sustainable chemical industry.