Production of high-value chemicals by oxidative depolymerization of larch lignin using cerium-modified Anderson-type...

The high-value-added phenolic compounds generated by the oxidative depolymerization of lignin are an essential way to substitute fossil resources and achieve high-value utilization of agroforestry wastes. However, the process of lignin oxidation and depolymerization to produce phenolic compounds always faces the challenge of low catalytic activity of catalysts and difficulty in recycling. Therefore, we incorporated cerium into the Anderson-type polyoxometalate framework to prepare a rod-shaped Ce₃[CoMo₆] catalyst. Under optimal conditions (150 °C, 1.0 MPa O₂, 4 h, 0.1 g Ce₃[CoMo₆]), the yield reaches 14.75 wt% and has good cycling stability. The excellent catalytic performance is attributed to the incorporation of cerium, which enhances the catalyst's specific surface area and active sites, facilitating full contact with lignin, improving the redox ability of Mo⁵⁺ and Ce⁴⁺ active centers, and accelerating the cleavage of CO and CC bonds in lignin. This work lays the foundation for the design of efficient catalysts and high-value utilization of agroforestry wastes.