Selective Production of 1,3-Diethylbenzene by Electrocatalytic Hydrocracking of Bamboo Lignin in Alkaline Solution

This study proposed a novel procedure for the selective production of 1,3-diethylbenzene (m-DEB) by the electrocatalytic hydrocracking of bamboo lignin in alkaline solution. The electrocatalytic reaction was carried out in the fixed bed three-dimensional electrode reactor, which consisted of Ti/SnO2-Sb2O3/alpha-PbO2/beta-PbO2 anode, copper mesh cathode, and ceramic particles that filled between the anode and cathode. Under the optimal conditions of 50 g/L lignin in NaOH solution (0.5 mol/L), a current density of 25 mA/cm(2), a temperature of 25 degrees C, and reaction time of 10 h, bamboo lignin was completely decomposed and an accumulated total yield of 35.7 g/L was obtained. Furthermore, the accumulated yield of m-DEB reached a maximum of 0.361 g/g-lignin by using a lignin concentration of 30 g/L. In addition, the formation of m-DEB was a zero-order kinetic reaction.