Selective lignin fractionation using CO2-expanded 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MTHF)

Dennis Weidener; Holger Klose; William Graf von Westarp; Andreas Jupke; Walter Leitner; Pablo Domínguez de María; Philipp M. Grande

doi:10.1039/D1GC01651B

Selective lignin fractionation using CO₂-expanded 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MTHF)†

Dennis Weidener,^ab Holger Klose,

^ab William Graf von Westarp,

^bc Andreas Jupke,^cb Walter Leitner,

^de Pablo Domínguez de María*^f and Philipp M. Grande

*^ab

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Plant Sciences (IBG-2), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
E-mail: p.grande@fz-juelich.de

^b Bioeconomy Science Center (BioSC), c/o Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany

^c Fluid Process Engineering (AVT.FVT), RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstraße 51, 52074 Aachen, Germany

^d Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry (ITMC), RWTH Aachen University, Worringer Weg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany

^e Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Stiftstraße 34-36, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany

^f Sustainable Momentum, SL Av. Ansite 3, 4-6, 35011 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
E-mail: dominguez@sustainable-momentum.net

Abstract

Upon CO₂ pressurization, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MTHF) expands. The expanded phase exerts different solvation properties, triggering fractional lignin precipitation. Depending on the actual CO₂ pressure, fractions of lignin with a gradient of different sizes and chemical properties are selectively precipitated. A range of raw materials and applications may be thus reached.

$Graphical abstract: Selective lignin fractionation using CO2-expanded 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MTHF)$

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Article information

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D1GC01651B
Article type: Communication
Submitted: 10 May 2021
Accepted: 05 Aug 2021
First published: 09 Aug 2021
This article is Open Access

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Green Chem., 2021,23, 6330-6336

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Selective lignin fractionation using CO₂-expanded 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MTHF)

D. Weidener, H. Klose, W. Graf von Westarp, A. Jupke, W. Leitner, P. Domínguez de María and P. M. Grande, Green Chem., 2021, 23, 6330 DOI: 10.1039/D1GC01651B

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