Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 22 No 6 (2018): 943 - 949

DOI: 10.17576/mjas-2018-2206-03

 

 

 

FORMATION OF VANILLIN AND VANILLIC ACID FROM KRAFT LIGNIN THROUGH GREEN CHEMICAL OXIDATION

 

(Pembentukan Vanillin dan Asid Vanillik dari Kraft Lignin melalui Proses Pengoksidaan Kimia Hijau)

 

Nabilah Ismail¹* and Leonard James Wright²

 

¹School of Fundamental Sciences,

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia

 ²Centre for Green Chemical Sciences,

University of Auckland, 23 Symonds St, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand

 

*Corresponding author: nabilah.i@umt.edu.my

 

 

Received: 16 September 2018; Accepted: 22 November 2018

 

 

Abstract

The development of efficient methods to produce useful small molecules such as vanillin and vanillic acid from kraft lignin is an important goal for a sustainable production of fine chemicals. It is generally known that oxidative treatments of kraft lignin can cause partial oxidative depolymerization to produce vanillin, but the conditions required are usually harsh and the yields are low. Therefore, the possibility of achieving the same reaction at 25 °C using an alternative green chemical catalytic oxidation process involving hydrogen peroxide and an Fe(TAML^®) oxidation catalyst was investigated. Preliminary experiments using this method at 25 °C with kraft lignin resulted in the formation of small amounts of vanillin (ca. 5%) as well as vanillic acid (<1%). The influence of key parameters including the concentrations of the catalyst (2.0-4.0 µM) and H₂O₂ (0.5-2.0 mM) on the amount of these compounds formed were reported.

 

Keywords:  Fe(TAML^®), hydrogen peroxide, kraft lignin, vanillin, vanillic acid

 

Abstrak

Pembangunan kaedah yang berkesan untuk menghasilkan molekul kecil yang berguna seperti vanillin dan asid vanillik dari kraft lignin adalah penting bagi penghasilan bahan kimia yang mampan. Adalah diketahui bahawa pengoksidaan kraft lignin mampu mengakibatkan depolimerisasi oksidatif separa untuk memberikan vanilin, tetapi kondisi yang diperlukan biasanya kasar dan hasilnya rendah. Oleh itu, kemungkinan untuk mencapai tindak balas yang sama pada 25 °C menggunakan proses pengoksidaan pemangkin kimia alternatif yang melibatkan hidrogen peroksida dan pemangkin pengoksidaan Fe (TAML®) disiasat. Eksperimen awal menggunakan kaedah ini pada 25 °C dengan kraft lignin mengakibatkan pembentukan sejumlah kecil vanillin (sekitar 5%) serta asid vanillik(<1%). Pengaruh parameter utama termasuk kepekatan pemangkin (2.0-4.0 µM) dan H₂O₂ (0.5-2.0 mM), keatas jumlah pembentukan sebatian ini dilaporkan.

 

Kata kunci:  Fe(TAML^®), hidrogen peroksida, kraft lignin, vanillin, asid vanillik

 

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