Improved Reductive Catalytic Fractionation of Lignocellulosic Biomass through the Application of a Recyclable Magnetic Catalyst

The reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF) of second generation lignocellulosic biomass is an elegant one-pot process to obtain a highly delignified cellulose pulp, sugar-derived polyols, and depolymerized and stabilized lignin oils. However, the need of noble metal catalysts to prompt the reactions may impact the economic sustainability of the overall “lignin-first” biorefinery if the catalyst recovery and recyclability are not guaranteed. Herein, the use of a novel catalyst based on supported ruthenium over maghemite for the RCF of poplar sawdust is reported for the first time. This material allows us to obtain a pure cellulose pulp with a quantitative magnetic recovery efficiency after the first cycle. The obtained lignin oil is composed by a 12% yield in phenolic monomers (i.e., benzyl alcohol, 4-n-propylguaiacol, and 4-n-propylsyringol), together with dimers and trimers as confirmed by GPC analyses. The catalytic material was found to be stable and recyclable for three reaction cycles with only minor loss of RCF efficiency. On the other hand, the straightforward, lab-scale, magnetic recovery procedure needs to be further improved in the future to ensure quantitative recovery of the catalyst also after several RCF cycles.