Electro-conversion as sustainable method for the fine chemical production from the biopolymer lignin

Lignin, one of the most abundant polymers in nature, qualifies itself by the polyphenolic structure as potential renewable feedstock for the production of bio-based aromatic fine chemicals. However, the natural complexity and degradation stability of lignin make the depolymerization a highly challenging task. Several efforts have been pursued for the selective degradation of the biopolymer into suitable compounds. However, there are only a few technical approaches for the degradation of lignin to aromatic fine chemicals. Organic electrosynthesis is the synthetic method that enables the direct use of electricity for the production of valuable compounds. Moreover, electro-organic synthesis represents a sustainable and modern technology. In addition, it is a powerful and “green” tool for the depolymerization and utilization of the renewable feedstock lignin. In general, if electro-conversion is driven to significant extent then a plethora of products is obtained, whereas the selective electrochemical degradation results in a low yield. Because of the inexpensive and abundant nature of lignin, the latter is of technical interest. This review surveys recent developments, and pioneering work in the field of electrochemical lignin degradation to bio-based fine chemicals.