Sustainable Production of Vanillin from Vanillyl Alcohol, a Model Compound of Lignocellulosic Biomass Conversion, via Selective Heterogeneous Catalysis

Daiana Cecilia Latorre, IIeana Daniela Lick, Andrea Beatriz Merlo, Daniel Ballesteros-Plata, Enrique Rodríguez-Castellón, Mónica Laura Casella, María Laura Faroppa, Juan José Musci

Abstract

Vanillin, a flavoring agent, is used extensively in the food industry. It is primarily derived from a petroleum derivative through synthetic procedures, though these technologies present certain drawbacks, including the generation of undesired byproducts and a relatively low yield. Furthermore, residual lignocellulosic biomass serves as a renewable source of aromatic compounds with the potential to be used as raw material in the synthesis of vanillin. This would allow the valorization of the residue, resulting in the production of a highly demanded compound for the food industry. To achieve this objective, a heterogeneous Pd catalyst supported on alumina was prepared and its activity was investigated in the oxidation reaction of vanillyl alcohol, a model compound of lignin, to obtain vanillin. The impact of key reaction parameters, including temperature, oxidant concentration, pH of the medium, and solvent, was evaluated. The Pd(1%)/Al₂O₃ catalyst used was capable of achieving 84% conversion and selectivity over 99% towards vanillin under mild conditions after a 3-hour reaction period in an alkaline medium using water as a solvent.

Keywords

References

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DOI: 10.14416/j.asep.2025.06.005

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