Lignin-Derived Hierarchical Porous Solid Base for Efficient Glucose Isomerization via In Situ Active Site Generation

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Conventional biochar-based solid base catalysts face challenges with complex preparation and pore blockage.
• Developing efficient and accessible catalysts is crucial for various chemical transformations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an in situ construction strategy for hierarchically porous solid-base catalysts using alkali lignin.
• To overcome limitations of traditional catalyst preparation methods.

Main Methods:

• Utilized alkali lignin as a carbon precursor for catalyst fabrication.
• Employed a soft-template-assisted cross-linking system followed by one-step pyrolysis under alkaline conditions.
• Tuned catalyst properties by adjusting carbonization temperature (600-800 °C).

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated hierarchically porous solid-base catalysts with tunable physicochemical properties.
• The optimized catalyst (KLPF-800) showed a high surface area (309 m²·g⁻¹) and hierarchical pore structure.
• Achieved a 33.21% fructose yield in aqueous-phase glucose isomerization at 120 °C within 20 min.

Conclusions:

• The in situ strategy provides a feasible route for valorizing lignin into efficient heterogeneous base catalysts.
• This method offers a simplified preparation process and prevents pore blockage.
• The developed catalysts demonstrate excellent performance in glucose isomerization, highlighting their potential in biomass conversion.