Electrochemical Vanillin Conversion for Biobased polymer Synthesis - Monitoring via Capillary Electrophoresis

In recent years the field of biobased polymers and materials has drawn much attention due to oil depletion and environmental concerns regarding petrochemical processes [1, 2]. Lignin is the world's second most abundant renewable biopolymer. In comparison to cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer, the potential of lignin is sparsely valorized. Currently, lignin is considered as a waste stream in the pulp and paper industry and is used almost only energetically on a 107 ton per year scale [3, 4]. Moreover, with the change to renewable energies Power-to-X and organic electrosynthesis is experiencing a renaissance [5]. The electrochemical conversion of lignin and its monomeric depolymerization products to biobased polymers and polymer additives links these two topics and opens up possibilities to valorize the unused potential of lignin. Lignin can be electrochemically depolymerized selectively to the monomeric building block vanillin and syringaldehyde. Further electrochemical and enzymatic conversion of these monomeric building blocks to biobased polymers and polymer additives offer a green and CO2-neutral synthesis route as alternative to the petrochemical process route.