A research team led by Professor Jaehoon Kim at Sungkyunkwan University and Dr. Dong Ki Lee at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) has developed a highly efficient catalytic process that electrochemically converts lignin, a key component of woody biomass, into value-added aromatic compounds and cyclohexene-based compounds.

The study demonstrates that the recalcitrant ether bonds in lignin can be selectively cleaved under relatively mild conditions without the use of external hydrogen gas, while simultaneously upgrading lignin into useful chemical precursors.

The research results were published in Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy.