Skip to main content
  • Paul Scherrer Institut PSI
  • PSI Research, Labs & User Services

Digital User Office

  • Digital User Office
  • DE
  • EN
  • FR
Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)
Search
Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)

Hauptnavigation

  • Research at PSIOpen mainmenu item
    • Research Initiatives
    • Ethics and Research integrity
    • Scientific Highlights
    • Scientific Events
    • Scientific Career
    • PSI-FELLOW
    • PSI Data Policy
  • Research Divisions and LabsOpen mainmenu item
    • Overview
    • Research with Neutrons and Muons
    • Photon Science
    • Energy and Environment
    • Nuclear Energy and Safety
    • Biology and Chemistry
    • Scientific Computing, Theory and Data
    • Large Research Facilities
  • Facilities and InstrumentsOpen mainmenu item
    • Overview
    • Large Research Facilities
    • Facilities
    • PSI Facility Newsletter
  • PSI User ServicesOpen mainmenu item
    • User Office
    • Methods at the PSI User Facilities
    • Proposals for beam time
    • Proposal Deadlines
    • Data Analysis Service (PSD)
    • EU support programmes
  • New ProjectsOpen mainmenu item
    • SLS 2.0
    • IMPACT
  • DE
  • EN
  • FR

Digital User Office (mobile)

  • Digital User Office

You are here:

  1. PSI Home
  2. Labs & User Services
  3. ENE
  4. LBK
  5. CPE
  6. Projects
  7. Green chemicals from Lignin

Secondary navigation

Catalytic Process Engineering

  • About CPE
  • HydroPilot
  • People
  • Projects Expanded submenu item
    • KONTI-C
    • In-situ characterization of catalysts under HP/HT conditions
    • SNG
    • Etamax
    • Biomass related Salt Solutions
    • Rational Design of Novel Ru/C Catalysts for Supercritical Water Gasification (SCWG)
    • In-situ characterization of catalysts
    • Green chemicals from Lignin
  • Fuel Simulation
  • Analytics
    • TG FTIR
    • FTIR-Raman
  • Test Rigs
  • Publications
    • Articles
    • Poster
    • Talks
    • Books chapters
    • Dissertations

Green chemicals from Lignin

Motivation

Figure 1: Example for the molecular structure of lignin
Figure 1: Example for the molecular structure of lignin
In the context of "green" chemical production this project is dealing with lignins as a renewable resource for phenolic compounds. Lignin is a polyphenolic bio-polymer that makes up 20 % of dry wood biomass. Since lignin is produced in large scale in the pulp and paper industry as a byproduct with no further use - beside being a low quality fuel for heating - there is a large interest in the derivatisation of lignin to value-added chemicals. The majority of the research concerning lignin concentrates on the depolymerisation of lignin to phenolic compounds using different techniques like solvolysis or pyrolysis. However, these investigations consist mainly of simple try and error experiments including little fundamental research. The depolymerisation process itself is treated like a black box.

Approach

Figure 2: Setup for the EPR experiments (x-Band)
Figure 2: Setup for the EPR experiments (x-Band)
This project, on the contrary, tries to enlighten that depolymerarisation black box using state of the art analytic tools - thus providing essential basic knowledge on the reactivity of lignins, especially concerning the role of radicals in the depolymerisation process. The key to analyzing and therefore understanding the radicals behaviour in lignin lies in the use of EPR-technology, because With this special spectroscopic method radicals can be observed and characterised. This information is combined with the results of a variety of other analytical methods (NMR, IR, SEC, UV-Vis etc.) to enable a fundamental understanding and knowledge of the depolymerisation process of lignins. The longterm goal of this project is to use this knowledge to improve existing and to develop new lignin-depolymerisation techniques, eventually leading to high-value phenolic compounds from biomass and in consequence going one step further on the way towards green and sustainable chemistry.

Sidebar

Project Contact

Green chemicals from Lignin

Christian Bährle

Telephone:
+41 56 310 5590
E-mail:
christian.baehrle@psi.ch

top

Footer

Paul Scherrer Institut

Forschungsstrasse 111
5232 Villigen PSI
Switzerland

Telephone: +41 56 310 21 11
Telefax: +41 56 310 21 99

How to find us
Contact

Visitor Centre psi forum
School Lab iLab (in German)
Center for Proton Therapy
PSI Education Centre
PSI Guest House
PSI Gastronomie (in German)
psi forum shop

Service & Support

  • Phone Book
  • User Office
  • Accelerator Status
  • PSI Publications
  • Suppliers
  • E-Billing
  • Computing
  • Safety (in German)

Career

  • Working at PSI
  • Job Opportunities
  • Training and further education
  • Career Center
  • Vocational Training (in German)
  • PSI Education Center

For the media

  • PSI in brief
  • Facts and Figures
  • Media corner
  • Media Releases
  • Social Media

Follow us: Twitter (in English) LinkedIn Youtube Facebook Instagram Issuu RSS

Footer legal

  • Imprint
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Editors' login