Chemie Ingenieur Technik, Vol.92, No.11, 1733-1740, 2020
Lignin from Annual Plants as Raw Material Source for Flavors and Basic Chemicals
The enzymatic conversion of lignins, possibly in combination with electrochemical oxidation, makes aromatics such as syringol, guaiacol, vanillin and catechol available in the qualities required by the fragrance industry. The lignins were obtained by soda digestion from wheat straw and Miscanthus, characterized and then converted with laccases. The overall yield amounted up to 9 wt % with a product spectrum confined to four substances. Catechol was the major product, with a fraction of approximate to 75 %. It can easily be isolated by extraction with acetone.