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Lignin as a multifunctional photocatalyst for solar-powered biocatalytic oxyfunctionalization of C–H bonds

Nature Synthesis volume 1, pages 217–226 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Each year, the pulp and paper industry produces approximately 50 million metric tons of lignin as waste, 95% of which is combusted or abandoned. Here, we report the use of lignin as a photocatalyst that forms H2O2 by O2 reduction and H2O oxidation under visible light. We investigated the photophysical and electronic properties of two lignin models, lignosulfonate and kraft lignin, by spectroscopic and photoelectrochemical analyses, and demonstrated the photoredox chemistry of lignin using these and other lignin models (for example, native-like cellulolytic enzyme lignin, artificial lignin dehydrogenation polymer and phenolic β-aryl ether-type lignin dimer). Furthermore, the integration of lignin and H2O2-dependent unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs) enabled the highly enantioselective oxyfunctionalization of various C–H bonds. The use of lignin photocatalysts solves a number of the challenges relating to the sustainable activation of UPOs, notably, eliminating the need for artificial electron donors and suppressing the HO·-mediated inactivation of UPOs. Thus, the lignin–UPO hybrid catalyst achieved a total turnover number of UPO of 81,000 for solar-powered biocatalytic oxyfunctionalization in photochemical platforms.

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Fig. 1: Photoenzymatic oxyfunctionalization using lignin photocatalysts and peroxygenases.
Fig. 2: Structural investigation of the lignin models.
Fig. 3: Electronic and photophysical properties of lignin photocatalysts.
Fig. 4: Lignin-sensitized production of H2O2 under visible light and its mechanism.
Fig. 5: TTNrAaeUPO values of photoenzymatic systems for ethylbenzene hydroxylation.

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The data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and its Supplementary Information. Source data are provided with this paper.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF; grant nos. NRF-2015R1A3A2066191 (C.B.P. and J.K.) and 2017M1A2A2087630 (Y.H.K.)) and the Global Ph.D. Fellowship Program (grant no. NRF-2019H1A2A1075810 (J.K.)), Republic of Korea. The authors thank G. Jung from B. Shin’s group (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) for permitting us to use a micro gas chromatograph.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea

    Jinhyun Kim & Chan Beum Park

  2. School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Republic of Korea

    Trang Vu Thien Nguyen & Yong Hwan Kim

  3. Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands

    Frank Hollmann

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Contributions

J.K. conceived/designed the research, performed the experiments, analysed the data and wrote the manuscript. C.B.P. supervised the research. T.V.T.N. and Y.H.K. provided lignin DHP, CEL and their HSQC spectra. F.H. supplied the UPOs. J.K., Y.H.K., F.H. and C.B.P. commented on the photo(bio)catalysis. J.K. and T.V.T.N. discussed the molecular structures of the lignins. All authors revised the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Chan Beum Park.

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Nature Synthesis thanks Han Sen Soo and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Thomas West was the primary editor on this article and managed its editorial process and peer review in collaboration with the rest of the editorial team.

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Kim, J., Nguyen, T.V.T., Kim, Y.H. et al. Lignin as a multifunctional photocatalyst for solar-powered biocatalytic oxyfunctionalization of C–H bonds. Nat Synth 1, 217–226 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44160-022-00035-2

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