Phenolics production via the catalytic pyrolysis of organosolv lignin over praseodymium doped lanthanum nickelate

To fully utilize the aromatic ring structure of lignin and realize high value addition, organosolv lignin (OL) extracted from papermaking waste liquid was subjected to catalytic pyrolysis for the production of phenolic compounds. Using self-made carbon nanospheres as a template, cellular La0.8Pr0.2NiO3 perovskite was prepared by the sol-gel method and used as catalyst in the pyrolysis of OL at 600°C for 3 h. The yield of liquid-phase product was 21.34%, and the selectivity of phenolic compounds reached 70.20%, constituting increases by 43.41% and 25.87% compared with the yield and selectivity of the catalyst-free process, respectively. After four cycles of regeneration, La0.8Pr0.2NiO3 perovskite still demonstrated good structural and catalytic stability. This work provides a theoretical basis for the development of green and sustainable chemical products.