Highly efficient fractionation of corn stover into lignin monomers and cellulose-rich pulp over H2WO4

In this work, we investigated the fractionation of raw biomass based on a “lignin-first” biorefinery strategy that enables corn stover into stable lignin oil and cellulose-rich pulp. Lignin fraction was completely disassembled monomers with yield 25.1 wt% in methanol H2WO4 catalyst at 200 °C for 6 h. Higher temperature (?220 °C) longer reaction time (?6 h) were favor higher delignification hemicellulose removal, but led to lower cellulose retention monomer yield. Particle size has minor impact significant removal. A two-step mechanism is proposed stover, which ether ester bonds between cleave form oligomers through solvolysis first, while depolymerization methyl hydroxycinnamates, e.g. p-coumarate ferulate, as major products happens catalytic steps.