From lignin-derived monomers to 1,4-cyclohexanediol via a two steps Dakin oxidation and hydrodeoxygenation reaction

Lignin is the largest renewable source of aromatic building blocks in nature and has great potential as a starting material for the production of bulk or functionalized aromatic compounds, providing a suitable alternative to widely used petroleum-derived chemicals. In this work, we present a novel 1,4-cyclohexanediol (CHDO) preparation from lignocellulose. In contrast to conventional methods, this pathway has taken the lignin-degrading monomers as a starting point, and flexibly employs a series of oxidative and catalytic reactions to achieve the preparation of CHDO. The proposed pathway consists of a two-step chemical process to efficiently obtain high yields of CHDO from lignocellulose. The first step is the oxidation of lignin-derived monophenols to p-hydroxyl phenolic compounds using the Dakin oxidation reaction (yield>80 %), and finally the de-functionalization and hydrogenation of the resulting monomers using the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) reaction.