Lignin and related compounds. I. A comparative study of catalysts for lignin hydrogenolysis

A detailed comparative study has been made of the effectiveness of various catalysts for the hydrogenolysis of spruce wood lignin. The catalysts studied were Raney nickel, 10% palladium–charcoal, 5% rhodium–charcoal, 5% rhodium–alumina, 5% ruthenium–charcoal, and 5% ruthenium–alumina. Lignin degradation products were obtained initially as a chloroform-soluble fraction which was then divided and studied as diethyl ether-soluble and -insoluble fractions. Gas–liquid chromatographic separation of the ether-soluble fraction made possible the characterization and quantitative estimation of many of the lower molecular weight lignin degradation products.The data indicate that rhodium, palladium, and a limited amount of Raney nickel produce similar results as do ruthenium and an excess of Raney nickel; however, with the latter catalysts the degradation is more severe. In particular, rhodium–charcoal and palladium–charcoal appear to offer interesting advantages as catalysts for lignin hydrogenolysis.