Toward mild synthesis of functional chemicals from lignin-derived phenolics via emerging catalytic technology

Efficient translation of renewable biomass into fine commodity chemicals and fuel is vital for a more sustainable economy and carbon-neutral society. Phenolics represent one of the most important intermediates in the transformation of lignin into bio-based bulk chemicals. Currently, (partial) hydrodeoxygenation is a promising strategy for upgrading phenolics to value-added products. Never-theless, conventionally thermo-catalytic hydrodeoxygenation is generally accompanied by high reaction temperatures and external hydrogen supply, which to some extent leads to costly expenditure and operational complexity. In this paper, we focus on the recent ad-vances in the synthesis of industrially relevant bulk chemicals from lignin-derived phenolics via three novel technologies of electrocata-lytic hydrogenation, non-thermal plasma-assisted catalysis, and photocatalytic hydrogenation. Meanwhile, the reaction condition adopted, physicochemical properties, and reaction mechanisms of employed catalytic systems are presented and discussed. Last, some personal perspectives on the existing challenges and future research directions in this promising area are highlighted.