Chemical depolymerization of lignin involving the redistribution mechanism with phenols and repolymerization of depolymerized products

The first example of chemical depolymerization of lignin involving the redistribution mechanism with phenols in water with a copper catalyst was demonstrated. By using this new method, lignin can be depolymerized under mild conditions such as at 80 °C, atmospheric pressure. This invention is the first demonstration of the depolymerization of lignin using chemical degradation with phenols. The depolymerized oligomeric lignin can be repolymerized and form a polymer by the esterification of hydroxyl groups in the depolymerized oligomeric products with sebacoyl chloride.