Chemical oxidative degradation biomass

The chemical and enzymatic oxidative degradation of lignin (and coal) is used to obtain not only vanillin and benzoic acid, but also other aromatics (Baciocchi et al. 1999, references therein). In principle, lignin could be a major nonfossil and renewable source of aromatic compounds, a feedstock for synthesis of useful products. The problem deserves finding new ion-radical routes to cleave lignin. At present, there is some shortage in oil, gas, and even coal, which had usually been well-available natural sources of aromatics. In the near future, biomass may (and must) replace fossil-originated materials in the manufacture of commercial carbon-based products. 

Degradation is often the result of the combined effect of chemical transformation and biodegradation. For example, the oxidation/reduction of complex hydrocarbons can produce simple compounds such as peroxides, primary alcohols, and monocarbocylic acids. These compounds can then be further degraded by bacteria, leading to the formation of carbon dioxide, water, and new bacterial biomass.19-35... 

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