Recently, researchers at Boston College (BC) have developed a way to use light to convert lignin into sustainable plastics.
The researchers first developed a catalyst that uses light to selectively break down specific chemical bonds in lignin, thereby converting the lignin into medium-sized soluble oligomer molecules, which are then converted into sustainable plastics by reacting the oligomers with a cross-linking agent.
Because of the unique chemical structure of the oligomers produced by the catalyst, plastics made by this method can be chemically broken down again into oligomers and reformed by reacting with the cross-linker again. This method will significantly improve the efficiency of biomass utilization and can be used to develop cleaner and more environmentally friendly building blocks.
The transition from oil to biomass as a feedstock for energy and materials production could help address some of the most important challenges facing our society, such as climate change and plastic pollution, and new ways to make advanced materials from lignin would greatly improve the efficiency of biomass utilization, said Dunwei Wang, a co-author of the report.
The research results were published in the journal ACS Central Science.
The team aims to further develop new methods to convert lignin into sustainable plastics that can be easily recycled by chemical means.
