Simple building blocks from forestry residues via convergent catalytic pathways

Funneling complex lignocellulose into simple and valuable building blocks has garnered significant interest in the field of biorefinery as a competitor to the petrochemical industry. Reductive Catalytic Fractionation (RCF) of lignocellulose, an innovative biorefinery technology, provides a promising strategy for complete valorization of lignocellulose into various valuable chemicals. In this study, integrated processes utilizing RCF strategies were developed to achieve complete conversion of lignocellulose into various simple and valuable platform chemicals. The core of this system is the flexible use of commercial Ni catalysts including Raney Ni and Ni/SiO 2 -Al 2 O 3 which brings great benefits for future upscale and industrial applications. Surprisingly, both monomers derived from lignin and high molecular weight fractions could be converted to 4-ethylcyclohexanol while carbohydrate pulp was converted to furfural and 5-methoxymethylfurfural (MMF) in one-pot. MMF could be further upgraded to 2,5-Furandicarboxylicacid (FDCA) via catalytic oxidation by Ru/C catalysts. This work could inspire the development of more sustainable and economically viable biorefinery processes.