Cover page of CHEMCATCHEM

A paper titled "Optimization of the Reaction Conditions for Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Pretreated Lignin over Zeolite for the Production of Phenol" by Zhiqiang Ma is published in ChemCatChem and made it on the cover of issue 6/2017.

The aim of the study was to obtain insights into the catalytic fast pyrolysis of lignin to phenol. Pretreated Kraft lignin was converted to phenol by catalytic fast pyrolysis over acidic zeolite. A number of factors were varied, namely the lignin pretreatment, the structure and acidity of the zeolite (Si/Al ratio), and the catalyst-to-lignin (feed) ratio, which affected the phenol yield. Depending on the pretreatment, as well as on the catalysts and the reaction conditions, it was possible to obtain maximum selectivity to phenols. A large-pore zeolite (FAU) with a Si/Al ratio of about 15 and a catalyst-to-feed ratio of 1:1, a temperature of 650 °C, a heating rate of 20 °C/ms, and a long pyrolysis time (20 sec) were essential to maximize the production of phenols from treated lignin.