Themed collection Biomass Conversion in Green Chemistry: Key Highlights

Overview of grass fibers for sustainable biocomposite development, characterizations, application and future prospects in green chemistry.

An overview and perspectives on the development of lignin as a raw material for optical materials are provided with the objective of opening up a new avenue for lignin valorization.

The conversion of lignocellulose biomass to furfural can be performed using one-step and two-step strategies. A techno-economic analysis plays a crucial role in evaluating the overall economic feasibility of industrial-scale furfural production.

Recent advances in electroreductive upgradation of biomass to high-value chemicals and energy-intensive biofuels via various transformation routes are showcased.

The industrial potential of pilot-scale reductive depolymerization approaches is critically assessed from a technical, techno-economic, and application point of view.

This review analyzes biphasic fractionation of lignocellulose using statistical analysis and DFT simulations, focusing on enzymatic hydrolysis, phase roles, solvent-catalyst impacts, and biphasic system sustainability with its industrial potential.

CO₂ switchable solvents provide a convenient and environmental method to dissolve and process cellulose.

Renewable energy sources have been recognized as a viable alternative to fossil fuels.

An overview on lignin modification and applications possibilities is provided. Importantly, a quantitative comparison of all discussed literature procedures in terms of sustainability is included.

This article is analyzing differences in chemistry and structure of lignins isolated using various protocols and reveals influence of their properties on nanolignins prepared at different pH.

Biological valorization of lignin toward various high-value products can effectively reduce the dependence on petroleum-based resources and contribute to building a renewable carbon cycle system.

Highly efficient and sustainable continuous production of FDCA was achieved using a cost-effective manganese-based catalyst, air as the oxidant, and heterogeneous tube-in-tube flow technology.

Biomass-to-hydrogen pathway using CO₂ as a reactant achieves high formic acid yield with net CO₂ reduction.

LMCT-mediated selective cleavage of β-O-4 lignin model compounds under visible light.

Tailored cellulose benzoate synthesis via homogeneous transesterification catalyzed by 1,8-diazabicyclo (5.4.0) undec-7-ene levulinate ([DBUH]Lev) for energy and environmental applications.

Transforming furfural waste into biofuels and biochar with outstanding PFOA adsorption capacity, offering sustainable solutions for environmental remediation.

C-lignin, a homo-biopolymer, has great potential as a feedstock for biorefineries that convert it into high value-added products, for example, catechol as a precursor of pharmaceuticals.

A green extraction system of polyphenol hydroxyl lignin with choline chloride as the hydrogen bond acceptor and tartaric acid and ferric chloride as hydrogen bond donors was designed. A green mulching film was prepared by compounding PVA.

Lignin-glyoxal: a fully biobased wood adhesive.

The environmentally friendly, non-toxic, non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) adhesives derived from CO₂ and green resources were synthesized.

Transforming waste stream of biorefinery into high-value bioproducts.

A mechanochemical solvent-free method enables facile access to surface modified cellulose nanocrystals, through activation and versatile nucleophilic substitution.

Lignocellulose fractionation using a polyhydric-alcohol-based deep eutectic solvent to directly obtain low-chromophore lignin for sunscreen production and digestible solid for outputting fermentable sugars.

Transesterification-based vitrimers from lignins modified with ethylene carbonate, to turn lignins into a recyclable aromatic bioresource.

The construction strategy of designable metal–polyphenol coordination polymers has the potential to be generally applicable to produce a range of interesting metal/carbon composite catalysts.

The structure of humins, a major side-product of carbohydrate biorefining, is complex and to a large extent unknown. A multitechnique characterization of an industrial humin provides new structural insights.

We demonstrate the unique substituted nature of lignin following deep eutectic solvent pulping of plant biomass. The incorporation of novel lactic acid and choline based functionalities is highlighted, now calling for targeted DES lignin application.

Z-Scheme photocatalysts for sustainable hydrogenolysis of β-O-4, α-O-4, and 4-O-5 linkages of lignin-derived ether in the selective production of aromatics or aliphatic hydrocarbons.

Cellulose-based fiber-reinforced composites are gaining attention for their eco-friendly attributes and cost-effectiveness.

Alkali freezing caused fiber gelation through enhanced fiber swelling and hydrogen bonding. Lignin in the fibers reduced capillary forces during ambient drying. Similarly structured xerogels could be generated using recycled NaOH solution.

The combined experimental study and molecular dynamics simulations elucidate laser-induced structural transformation of lignin into few-layer graphene.

Curling treatment of unbleached Kraft pulp fibers creates disordered cellulose, enhancing enzyme accessibility for fiber modification. This facilitates micro/nano-fibrillation, improving mechanical performance for potential functional applications.

A lignin-extractive green reaction medium consisting of choline chloride, 5-sulfosalicylic acid, and γ-valerolactone was designed. Polyphenolic lignin was obtained. The green advancement of DES processing has been enhanced.

Ni/C catalysts for the efficient self-transfer hydrogenolysis of native lignin.

We identified the significant technical-economic factors, uncertainty, and risks in the pine sawdust biorefinery design for bioethylene and lignin production.

A framework integrating life cycle assessment, Green Chemistry, and techno-economic analysis to identify cost-effective, greener pathways for nanomaterial production, demonstrated with cellulose nanomaterials.

A surprisingly simple approach to increasing the mechanical properties of lignin-based carbon fiber by leveraging a newly discovered thermo-mechanochemistry of lignin.

The pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass with a functional DES that incorporates choline chloride (ChCl) and glyoxylic acid (GA) resulted in a high removal of lignin and hemicellulose, lignin stabilization, and cellulose functionalization.

This study reports a green method of grading and modifying formic acid lignin (FL), which was used to prepare stable hydrophobic coatings via the solvent/anti-solvent (ethanol/water) self-assembly method.

Regio- and stereoselective functionalisation reactions like C–H oxidation are of high importance for instance for the valorization of renewables like fatty acids by α-hydroxylation.

The photothermal effect of lignin was significantly enhanced by introducing electron-withdrawing group attributing to the improved light absorption by electron donor-acceptor structure and the enhanced non-radiative decay through molecular motion.

Biomass appears to be a potential candidate for the preparation of porous carbon materials with wide applications for catalytic fields due to its low price, green sustainability and natural hierarchical porous structure.