Hydrolysis kinetics of benzyl phenyl ether in high temperature liquid water

The application of high temperature liquid water (HTLW) to decomposition of lignin as efficient and green solution for phenolic compounds recovery was studied. Benzyl phenyl ether (BPE), the lignin model compound, was treated at temperatures ranging from 220 to 250 °C. BPE undergo hydrolysis in HTLW, and main products were phenol and benzyl alcohol with the minimum selectivities of 75.7% and 82.8%, respectively. Lower temperature led to higher selectivity in 220–250 °C temperature range. The kinetics on BPE hydrolysis was studied and the activation energy was determined as 150.3 ± 12.5 kJ/mol with the first-order kinetic equations. Based on products distribution, the reaction mechanism for decomposition of benzyl phenyl ether was proposed. The investigated process provides insights into the design of a commercial method for utilization of lignin.