Bio-inspired catalysts for the delignification of woody biomass

Recalcitrance is a key barrier to the production of fuels and chemicals from biomass. A variety of pretreatment processes have been developed to overcome this recalcitrance, but most methods are expensive or involve harsh conditions such as high temperature and pressure. The use of catalysts can significantly improve cell wall deconstruction and delignification, thereby allowing milder pretreatment conditions. Copper 2,2’-bipyridine (Cu(bpy))-catalyzed alkaline hydrogen peroxide is an excellent pretreatment for woody biomass. Obtaining a deeper understanding of the properties that allow Cu(bpy) as well as natural enzymes to catalyze the efficient delignification of woody biomass will enable the development of new industrially-relevant catalysts for the production of fuels and chemicals. Electrochemistry is one green method that can be applied to recycle these catalysts and enhance directed cleavage of the lignin. The goal of my work is to elucidate relevant properties of the catalysts that allow them to be effective, and to develop new mild catalysts inspired by nature for use in electrochemical reductions of woody biomass components.