Carbon Modification of Nickel Catalyst for Depolymerization of Oxidized Lignin to Aromatics

Catalytic valorization of lignin is a sustainable way to provide aromatics for the human society, which depends on the electronic structure of catalytic sites. We herein report the preparation of a carbon-modified nickel catalyst via carbothermal reduction of Ni-doped layered double hydroxides. Lignosulfonate (LS), a lignin resource from the pulp industry, was used as a renewable carbon precursor. The carbon residues in the nickel surface layer changed the 3d electron distribution of nickel, which was highly selective for the C–O bond hydrogenolysis of lignin into aromatics, and 22 wt % total mass yields of aromatics were achieved from hydrogenolysis of oxidized birch lignin.