Catalytic conversion of lignin derived monomers to value-added chemicals

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DuPont is an advanced, science-based company, operating the Kingston Technology Centre in Kingston, ON with more than 110 employees, including 35 Ph.Ds. in chemistry and chemical engineering. This Centre is part of a global network of over 10,000 scientists and engineers that have launched more than 1,800 new products in 2013 alone, bringing the next generation of new materials and processes with finely tuned attributes to meet our customers varied needs, including optimization of its licensable cellulosic ethanol technology. The company has been operating a cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant since 2008 and in 2015 will commission a commercial scale plant for ethanol production from corn stover, which generates lignin as a byproduct. The company has identified an emerging business opportunity to produce high value chemicals and building blocks for naturally sourced materials from lignin derivatives. In order to capture emerging opportunities from lignin, DuPont would like to leverage expertise in Prof. Cathy Chins lab to develop advanced catalytic conversion strategies in order to exploit the lignin byproducts, specifically focusing on upgrading monomers and dimers from deconstructed lignin. The proposed work will develop innovative, environmentally benign catalytic strategies to transform lignin derived monomers and dimers selectively to value-added chemicals, thus minimizing H2 consumption and reducing the carbon footprint. Lignin, one of the complex and recalcitrant macromolecule constructed from phenyl propane type building blocks, are attractive precursors to fine chemicals and aromatics. The complex macromolecular structures of lignin are, however, resistant to control depolymerization except under harsh conditions. As a result of its structural complexity, lignin is recognized as the most underutilized lignocellulosic biomass and currently used commercially for generation of heat and power through its combustion in pulp and paper industry. Recent breakthroughs in lignin depolymerization strategies have led to an increase in the yield of monomers and dimers at relatively mild conditions and thus opened up new opportunities for utilizing lignin as a valuable precursor for polymers and fine-chemicals. The project will utilize comprehensive kinetic and catalytic screening methodologies, together with state-of-theart spectroscopic and microscopic instrumentation, newly available at the University of Toronto to compare the reactivities between precious metal and base metal catalysts, some of which are developed by DuPont. The goal is to evaluate the catalysts performance and functions, improve catalyst formulations, and obtain new mechanistic insights for control, selective deoxygenation of lignin monomers. Technology discoveries from this project would lead to new catalysts and enable processing strategies that utilize lignin. This work will also establish the essential chemistry on a series of catalysts developed by DuPont and firmly position the company to seizing the opportunities in developing next generation lignin conversion technologies, to be integrated into DuPonts lignocellulosic ethanol plant.