Enzymatic grafting of acrylic monomers to lignin for polyurethane resin applications

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Lignin is the most abundant natural polyaromatic plant-derived macromolecule in the world. Majority of lignin**is currently used by pulp and paper mills as a source of energy, whereas the presence of aliphatic and aromatic**hydroxyl groups in lignin structures makes it a good candidate for higher-value applications, including**alternatives to replace petroleum-derived polyols (e.g., polyether polyol) used to make polyurethane (PU)**resins. The incorporation of lignin in PU resins, however, requires sustainable processes that make existing**hydroxyl groups more reactive with isocyanates used in PU formulations. This short-term project will focus on**demonstrating that selected acrylate monomers can be enzymatically grafted to industrially relevant lignin**streams, which will open new avenues for developing lignin-based bioproducts using biotechnology**approaches.