Perspective on Lignin Oxidation: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions

Selective Oxidation Cleavage of Cα-Cβ Bonds between Lignin Aromatic Units via Phosphomolybdic Acid-Ionic Liquid

Lignin, the most abundant renewable resource of aromatics in nature, is recognized as an alternative to fossil-based fuels and chemicals. In this study, a phosphomolybdic acid-ionic liquid (PMA-IL) [BSHMIM]H2PMo12O40 was synthesized and used as a catalyst for further oxidative depolymerization of extracted lignin to prepare valuable chemicals. Under optimized conditions, the conversion of lignin reached 61.33%, and the total yield of target products (vanillin, vanillic acid, and methyl vanillate) was 28.00 mg·g-1, where the selectivity of methyl vanillate reached 56.43%. The liquid products and residues obtained under the optimum conditions were analyzed, further confirming the advantages of PMA-IL compared with single PMA. In addition, this method also has an excellent catalytic effect for other types of lignin and presents a good substrate applicability. Finally, based on the research results of model compounds, the possible reaction pathway of the formation of vanillin, vanillic acid, and methyl vanillate was proposed.

Mild and efficient approach to aromatic backbone cleavage using copper-lignosulfonate/hydrogen peroxide system

This study investigates the dual role of copper ions in catalysis and complexation during the oxidation of lignosulfonates with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) under alkaline conditions. The presence of copper ions reduces partial oxidation by 86 % compared to H2O2 treatment alone, enhancing overall conversion efficiency to 63 % under increased oxidative conditions. Analyses reveal that copper-lignosulfonate complexes facilitate redox cycling and hydroxyl radical generation through interactions with H2O2, confirming copper's dual functions. This mechanism mitigates the hindrance of sulfonic groups on hydroperoxide anions, leading to lignosulfonate degradation into dicarboxylic acids. These findings provide novel insights into the copper-lignosulfonate/H2O2 system, expanding the understanding of oxidative degradation mechanisms beyond traditional Fenton-like reactions. Furthermore, this system offers a simplified and efficient alternative for industrial applications, particularly in integration with the sulfite pretreatment process of woody biomass for producing valuable co-products.

One-Pot Catalytic Cascade for the Depolymerization of the Lignin β-O-4 Motif to Non-phenolic Dealkylated Aromatics

Aromatic monomers obtained by selective depolymerization of the lignin β-O-4 motif are typically phenolic and contain (oxygenated) alkyl substitutions. This work reveals the potential of a one-pot catalytic lignin β-O-4 depolymerization cascade strategy that yields a uniform set of methoxylated aromatics without alkyl side-chains. This cascade consists of the selective acceptorless dehydrogenation of the γ-hydroxy group, a subsequent retro-aldol reaction that cleaves the Cα-Cβ bond, followed by in situ acceptorless decarbonylation of the formed aldehydes. This three-step cascade reaction, catalyzed by an iridium(I)-BINAP complex, resulted in 75 % selectivity for 1,2-dimethoxybenzene from G-type lignin dimers, alongside syngas (CO : H2≈1.4 : 1). Applying this method to a synthetic G-type polymer, 11 wt % 1,2-dimethoxybenzene was obtained. This versatile compound can be easily transformed into 3,4-dimethoxyphenol, a valuable precursor for pharmaceutical synthesis, through an enzymatic catalytic approach. Moreover, the hydrodeoxygenation potential of 1,2-dimethoxybenzene offers a pathway to produce valuable cyclohexane or benzene derivatives, presenting enticing opportunities for sustainable chemical transformations without the necessity for phenolic mixture upgrading via dealkylation.

Benzenoid Aromatics from Renewable Resources

In this Review, all known chemical methods for the conversion of renewable resources into benzenoid aromatics are summarized. The raw materials that were taken into consideration are CO2; lignocellulose and its constituents cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin; carbohydrates, mostly glucose, fructose, and xylose; chitin; fats and oils; terpenes; and materials that are easily obtained via fermentation, such as biogas, bioethanol, acetone, and many more. There are roughly two directions. One much used method is catalytic fast pyrolysis carried out at high temperatures (between 300 and 700 °C depending on the raw material), which leads to the formation of biochar; gases, such as CO, CO2, H2, and CH4; and an oil which is a mixture of hydrocarbons, mostly aromatics. The carbon selectivities of this method can be reasonably high when defined small molecules such as methanol or hexane are used but are rather low when highly oxygenated compounds such as lignocellulose are used. The other direction is largely based on the multistep conversion of platform chemicals obtained from lignocellulose, cellulose, or sugars and a limited number of fats and terpenes. Much research has focused on furan compounds such as furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, and 5-chloromethylfurfural. The conversion of lignocellulose to xylene via 5-chloromethylfurfural and dimethylfuran has led to the construction of two large-scale plants, one of which has been operational since 2023.

Advancements and Perspectives toward Lignin Valorization via O-Demethylation

Lignin represents the largest aromatic carbon resource in plants, holding significant promise as a renewable feedstock for bioaromatics and other cyclic hydrocarbons in the context of the circular bioeconomy. However, the methoxy groups of aryl methyl ethers, abundantly found in technical lignins and lignin-derived chemicals, limit their pertinent chemical reactivity and broader applicability. Unlocking the phenolic hydroxyl functionality through O-demethylation (ODM) has emerged as a valuable approach to mitigate this need and enables further applications. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of the progress in the valorization of technical lignin and lignin-derived chemicals via ODM, both catalytic and non-catalytic reactions. Furthermore, a detailed analysis of the properties and potential applications of the O-demethylated products is presented, accompanied by a systematic overview of available ODM reactions. This review primarily focuses on enhancing the phenolic hydroxyl content in lignin-derived species through ODM, showcasing its potential in the catalytic funneling of lignin and value-added applications. A comprehensive synopsis and future outlook are included in the concluding section of this review.

Elucidating the Role of Lignin Type and Functionality in the Development of High-Performance Biobased Phenolic Thermoset Resins

In this work, a series of biobased phenolic resins were developed starting from kraft and soda lignin, suitably functionalized through esterification by means of succinic anhydride. As a result of an extensive optimization study of the functionalization and curing reactions, clear correlations between lignin type and chemical-physical characteristics and the properties of the resulting phenolic resin systems were described. In particular, the esterification reaction through succinic anhydride was found to play a key role in enhancing the chemical reactivity and in facilitating the successful incorporation of lignin into the resin formulations. The obtained high-lignin-content thermoset materials were shown to exhibit tunable chemical (functionality, gel content, and cross-linking density), thermal (glass transition temperature and thermo-oxidative stability), and mechanical (surface hardness, indentation modulus, and creep behavior) characteristics, which could outperform those of fully oil-based reference phenolic resins by judicious control of lignin concentration and chemical characteristics. In particular, succinylated kraft lignin was found to enable more efficient incorporation into the cured systems. This work provides the first demonstration of the incorporation of succinic-anhydride-modified-lignin in the formulation of high-performance phenolic resins, ultimately contributing to the definition of structure-property-performance correlations for rational biobased material design in the context of advanced and sustainable manufacturing.

Oxidative Cleavage of β-O-4 Linkage in Lignin via Co Nanoparticles Embedded in 3DNG as Catalyst

The cleavage of β-O-4 linkage in lignin is one of the key steps for oxidative conversion of lignin to low-molecular-weight aromatics. Herein, Co nanoparticles embedded in three-dimensional network of nitrogen-doped graphene (Co/NG@3DNG-X) were prepared through an immersion-pyrolysis procedure, in which X denotes the pyrolysis temperature. The detailed characterization of Co/NG@3DNG-X shows that the Co nanoparticles are coated with a few layers of nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) sheets that are further embedded in 3DNG matrix. The catalytic activities of the Co/NG@3DNG-X for the oxidative cleavage of β-O-4 linkage in lignin model compounds with O₂ as oxidant are explored. It is demonstrated that catalytic activities of as-prepared Co/NG@3DNG-X can be tuned by varying the pyrolysis condition, and the Co/NG@3DNG-900 shows the highest catalytic activity, which is attributed to the enriched Co-N_x species, the strong surface basicity, the high specific surface and the mesoporous motif of 3DNG network. More pronouncedly, the Co/NG@3DNG-900 can also effectively catalyze the oxidative cleavage of organosolv lignin, generating certain monomeric aromatics. Additionally, the intrinsic magnetic property of Co nanoparticles makes the Co/NG@3DNG-X be easily recovered from the reaction mixture, and the as-coated thin NG layer can protect Co nanoparticle from oxidation condition, which putting together afford the Co/NG@3DNG-X with good reusability and stability.

Sustainable production of active pharmaceutical ingredients from lignin-based benzoic acid derivatives via “demand orientation”

Catalytic production of several representative active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from lignin.

On the Oxidative Valorization of Lignin to High-Value Chemicals: A Critical Review of Opportunities and Challenges

The efficient valorization of lignin is crucial if we are to replace current petroleum-based feedstock and establish more sustainable and competitive lignocellulosic biorefineries. Pulp and paper mills and second-generation biorefineries produce large quantities of low-value technical lignin as a by-product, which is often combusted on-site for energy recovery. This Review focuses on the conversion of technical lignins by oxidative depolymerization employing heterogeneous catalysts. It scrutinizes the current literature describing the use of various heterogeneous catalysts in the oxidative depolymerization of lignin and includes a comparison of the methods, catalyst loadings, reaction media, and types of catalyst applied, as well as the reaction products and yields. Furthermore, current techniques for the determination of product yields and product recovery are discussed. Finally, challenges and suggestions for future approaches are outlined.

Recent Studies on the Preparation and Application of Ionic Amphiphilic Lignin: A Comprehensive Review

As the second most abundant natural polymer after cellulose, lignin has received considerable attention recently due to its reproducibility, safety, and biodegradability. Studies are now focusing on the development of new lignin applications to replace petroleum-based chemicals. Unfortunately, lignin has several inherent problems, such as poor water solubility and a tendency to agglomerate. However, after chemical modification, lignin can gain new functions through the introduction of new functional groups. For example, amphiphilic lignin is a polymer that is soluble in both water and organic solvents. Amphiphilic lignin polymers can be divided into anionic, cationic, and anionic-cationic amphoteric lignin-based polymers, according to the ions contained in their molecular structure. Amphiphilic lignin polymers also have a wide range of applications in various industrial fields and can be used as wetting agents, detergents, controlled release fertilizers, adsorbents, and emulsifiers. Thus, this article reviews research progress on the synthesis and applications of amphiphilic lignin-derived polymers over the past 10 years, providing a theoretical reference for the utilization of high-added-value and high-performance lignin.

Microwave-Assisted Lignin Wet Peroxide Oxidation to C4 Dicarboxylic Acids

Innovative methodologies, such as microwave-assisted reaction, can help to valorize lignin with higher productivity and better energy efficiency. In this work, microwave heating was tested in the wet peroxide oxidation of three lignins (Indulin AT, Lignol, and Eucalyptus globulus lignins) as a novel methodology to obtain C₄ dicarboxylic acids. The effect of temperature, time, and catalyst type (TS-1 or Fe-TS1) was evaluated in the production of these acids. The TS-1 catalyst improved succinic acid yield, achieving up to 9.4 wt % for Lignol lignin. Moreover, the microwave heating specifically enhanced Lignol conversion to malic acid (34 wt %), even without catalyst, showing to be an attractive path for the future valorization of organosolv lignins. Overall, compared to conventional heating, microwave heating originated a rapid lignin conversion. Nevertheless, for prolonged times, conventional heating led to better results for some target products, e.g., malic and succinic acids.

Resource recovery from lignocellulosic wastes via biological technologies: Advancements and prospects

Lignocellulosic wastes were recently considered as biomass resources, however, its conversion to valuable products is still immature although researchers have put lots of effort into this issue. This article reviews the key challenges of the biorefinery utilizing lignocellulosic materials and recent developments to conquer those obstacles. Available biological techniques and processes, from the pretreatments of cellulosic materials to the valorization processes, were emphasized. Biological pretreatments, including hydrolysis using microbial consortia, fungi, enzymes, engineered bacterial/fungal strains, and co-culture systems, could enhance the release of reducing sugar. Resources recovery, including biogases, ethanol, butanol, PHA, etc., from lignocellulosic materials were also discussed, while the influences of composition of lignocellulosic materials and pretreatment options, applications of co-culture system, and integrated treatments with other wastes, were described. In the review, co-culture system and metabolic engineering are emphasized as the promising biological technologies, while perspectives are provided for their future developments.

Lignosulphonates as an Alternative to Non-Renewable Binders in Wood-Based Materials

Lignin is a widely abundant renewable source of phenolic compounds. Despite the growing interest on using it as a substitute for its petroleum-based counterparts, only 1 to 2% of the global lignin production is used for obtaining value-added products. Lignosulphonates (LS), derived from the sulphite pulping process, account for 90% of the total market of commercial lignin. The most successful industrial attempts to use lignin for wood adhesives are based on using this polymer as a partial substitute in phenol-formaldehyde or urea-formaldehyde resins. Alternatively, formaldehyde-free adhesives with lignin and lignosulphonates have also been developed with promising results. However, the low number of reactive sites available in lignin's aromatic ring and high polydispersity have hindered its application in resin synthesis. Currently, finding suitable crosslinkers for LS and decreasing the long pressing time associated with lignin adhesives remains a challenge. Thus, several methods have been proposed to improve the reactivity of lignin molecules. In this paper, techniques to extract, characterize, as well as improve the reactivity of LS are addressed. The most recent advances in the application of LS in wood adhesives, with and without combination with formaldehyde, are also reviewed.

Oxidative Catalytic Fractionation of Lignocellulosic Biomass under Non-alkaline Conditions

Biomass pretreatment methods are commonly used to isolate carbohydrates from biomass, but they often lead to modification, degradation, and/or low yields of lignin. Catalytic fractionation approaches provide a possible solution to these challenges by separating the polymeric sugar and lignin fractions in the presence of a catalyst that promotes cleavage of the lignin into aromatic monomers. Here, we demonstrate an oxidative fractionation method conducted in the presence of a heterogeneous non-precious-metal Co-N-C catalyst and O2 in acetone as the solvent. The process affords a 15 wt% yield of phenolic products bearing aldehydes (vanillin, syringaldehyde) and carboxylic acids (p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid), complementing the alkylated phenols obtained from existing reductive catalytic fractionation methods. The oxygenated aromatics derived from this process have appealing features for use in polymer synthesis and/or biological funneling to value-added products, and the non-alkaline conditions associated with this process support preservation of the cellulose, which remains insoluble at reaction conditions and is recovered as a solid.

Added-Value Chemicals from Lignin Oxidation

Lignin is the second most abundant component, next to cellulose, in lignocellulosic biomass. Large amounts of this polymer are produced annually in the pulp and paper industries as a coproduct from the cooking process-most of it burned as fuel for energy. Strategies regarding lignin valorization have attracted significant attention over the recent decades due to lignin's aromatic structure. Oxidative depolymerization allows converting lignin into added-value compounds, as phenolic monomers and/or dicarboxylic acids, which could be an excellent alternative to aromatic petrochemicals. However, the major challenge is to enhance the reactivity and selectivity of the lignin structure towards depolymerization and prevent condensation reactions. This review includes a comprehensive overview of the main contributions of lignin valorization through oxidative depolymerization to produce added-value compounds (vanillin and syringaldehyde) that have been developed over the recent decades in the LSRE group. An evaluation of the valuable products obtained from oxidation in an alkaline medium with oxygen of lignins and liquors from different sources and delignification processes is also provided. A review of C4 dicarboxylic acids obtained from lignin oxidation is also included, emphasizing catalytic conversion by O2 or H2O2 oxidation.

Recent advances in the valorization of plant biomass

Plant biomass is a highly abundant renewable resource that can be converted into several types of high-value-added products, including chemicals, biofuels and advanced materials. In the last few decades, an increasing number of biomass species and processing techniques have been developed to enhance the application of plant biomass followed by the industrial application of some of the products, during which varied technologies have been successfully developed. In this review, we summarize the different sources of plant biomass, the evolving technologies for treating it, and the various products derived from plant biomass. Moreover, the challenges inherent in the valorization of plant biomass used in high-value-added products are also discussed. Overall, with the increased use of plant biomass, the development of treatment technologies, and the solution of the challenges raised during plant biomass valorization, the value-added products derived from plant biomass will become greater in number and more valuable.

In silico exploration of lignin peroxidase for unraveling the degradation mechanism employing lignin model compounds

Lignin peroxidase is a heme-containing biocatalyst, well-known for its diverse applications in the fields from environmental chemistry to biotechnology. LiP-mediated oxidative catalysis is H₂O₂-dependent, and can oxidize phenolic, and non-phenolic substrates by oxidative cleavage of the C-C and C-O bonds of lignin. In contrast to fungi-derived LiP, the binding affinity of bacterial-derived LiP to lignin at the molecular level is poorly known to date. Tremendous wet-lab studies have been unveiled that provide degradation and biotransformation information on kraft lignin, whilst studies on the completely transformed compounds and the degradation of each transformed compounds simultaneously during degradation are scarce. To gain an understanding of the degradation process using docking, and MDS based studies, we assessed the binding affinity of selected lignin model compounds with bacterial origin LiP and validated such docked complexes exploiting 30 ns molecular dynamics simulations. We selected and picked a total of 12 lignin model compounds for molecular modeling analysis, namely two chlorinated lignin model compounds (monomer) (2-chlorosyringaldehyde and 5-chlorovanillin), eight standard lignin model compounds (veratryl alcohol, syringyl alcohol, sinapyl alcohol, methyl hydroquinone, guaiacol, coniferyl alcohol, catechol, and 4-methoxy phenol), while, two 4-O-5, and β-O-4 linkage-based multimeric model compounds (dimer: 2-methoxy-6-(2-methoxy-4-methylphenoxy)-4-methylphenol; trimer: syringyl β-O-4 syringyl β-O-4 sinapyl alcohol). Far more specific binding residues were observed from XP-Glide docking, as TYR, HIP (protonated histidine), PHE, VAL, ASP, THR, LYS and GLN. The binding affinity was confirmed by the Gibbs free energy or binding energy (ΔG) score; furthermore, it is found that the maximum binding energy seems to be observed for 4-methoxyphenol with a Glide score of -3.438 with Pi-Pi stacking and H-bond type bonding interactions, whilst the lowest XP Gscore as -8.136 with Pi-Pi stacking and H-bond (side chain) type bonding interactions were found for the trimer model compound. The docked complexes were further evaluated for deep rigorous structural and functional fluctuation analyses through high-performance molecular dynamics simulations-DESMOND, after a post simulation run of 30 ns. The RMSD trajectory analyses of the protein-ligands were found to be in the equilibrium state at the end of simulation run for multimeric lignin model compounds. In addition, ionic ligand-protein interaction occurs among chlorinated compounds, while hydrophobic and H-bond contacts have frequently been observed in all lignin-model compounds. The findings herein demonstrate that bacterial LiP can effectively catalyze multiple lignin model compounds, and it might further be used as an effective tool for sustainable mitigation of diverse environmental contaminants.

Power-to-chemicals: Low-temperature plasma for lignin depolymerisation in ethanol

Lignin valorisation into renewable fuels and platform chemicals is desirable but still encounters major challenges due to lignin's recalcitrant structure, and the lack of cost-, energy-, and material efficient conversion processes. Herein, we report a low-temperature plasma-based route to lignin depolymerisation at mild conditions. The discharge over ethanol surface locally creating a high-energy and reactive environment rich in free electrons, energetic H radicals, and other reactive species, is well suited for lignin depolymerisation. Furthermore, assisted with a Fenton reaction (by adding Fe₂O₃ and H₂O₂) to sustain a more oxidative environment, the lignin conversion yield increases from 42.6% to 66.0%. Thus-obtained renewable chemicals are rich in aromatics and dicarboxylic acid derivatives. The proposed strategy on intensifying reactive chemistry by high-power plasmas enables an effective power-to-chemicals conversion of lignin and may provide useful guidelines for modern biorefineries.

Valorization of Lignin via Oxidative Depolymerization with Hydrogen Peroxide: Towards Carboxyl-Rich Oligomeric Lignin Fragments

The extraction and characterization of defined and carboxyl-rich oligomeric lignin fragments with narrow molecular weight distribution is presented herein. With regard to the well-known pulp bleaching process, oxidative lignin depolymerization was investigated using hydrogen peroxide in an aqueous alkaline solution (i.e., at T = 318 K, t = 1 h) and subsequent selective fractionation with a 10/90 (v/v) acetone/water mixture. While the weight average molecular weight (M_W) of lignin in comparison to the starting material was reduced by 82% after oxidation (T = 318 K, t = 1 h, c_lignin = 40 g L⁻¹, c_H2O2 = 80 g L⁻¹, c_NaOH = 2 mol L⁻¹) and subsequent solvent fractionation (T = 298 K, t = 18 h, c_{cleavage product} = 20 g L⁻¹), the carboxyl group (–COOH) content increased from 1.29 mmol g⁻¹ up to 2.66 mmol g⁻¹. Finally, the successful scale-up of this whole process to 3 L scale led to gram amounts (14% yield) of oligomeric lignin fragments with a M_W of 1607 g mol⁻¹, a number average molecular weight (M_N) of 646 g mol⁻¹, a narrow polydispersity index of 3.0, and a high –COOH content of 2.96 mmol g⁻¹. Application of these oligomeric lignin fragments in epoxy resins or as adsorbents is conceivable without further functionalization.

Stabilization strategies in biomass depolymerization using chemical functionalization

A central feature of most lignocellulosic-biomass-valorization strategies is the depolymerization of all its three major constituents: cellulose and hemicellulose to simple sugars, and lignin to phenolic monomers. However, reactive intermediates, generally resulting from dehydration reactions, can participate in undesirable condensation pathways during biomass deconstruction, which have posed fundamental challenges to commercial biomass valorization. Thus, new strategies specifically aim to suppress condensations of reactive intermediates, either avoiding their formation by functionalizing the native structure or intermediates or selectively transforming these intermediates into stable derivatives. These strategies have provided unforeseen upgrading pathways, products and process solutions. In this Review, we outline the molecular driving forces that shape the deconstruction landscape and describe the strategies for chemical functionalization. We then offer an outlook on further developments and the potential of these strategies to sustainably produce renewable-platform chemicals.

Metal Catalyst-Free Oxidative C-C Bond Cleavage of a Lignin Model Compound by H2 O2 in Formic acid

Selective cleavage of the β-O-4 ether bond of lignin to produce aromatics is one of the most important topics for the sustainable production of chemicals from biomass. A simple system has been developed for C_α -C_β bond cleavage of a β-O-4 ketone-structured lignin model compound (LMC) by H₂ O₂ in formic acid under metal catalyst-free conditions. By using this simple system, with H₂ O₂ , formic acid, and mineral acid catalyst, over 90 % product yield is achieved in 6 h at room temperature. The reaction proceeds through the classic Baeyer-Villiger oxidation and in situ-generated performic acid serves as the key oxidant. The cleavage of alcoholic LMCs by using the presented method in a two-step process is also demonstrated.

Product-oriented decomposition of lignocellulose catalyzed by novel polyoxometalates-ionic liquid mixture

Lignocellulose was oxidatively decomposed in a newly developed polyoxometalates-imidazolium ionic liquid mixture. Aromatic compounds covering acids, esters, ketones, aldehydes, and phenols were selectively produced under various conditions. 4-Hydroxylbenzoic acid was dominatingly yielded under low temperature and high oxidant concentration. Phenolic compounds were mainly generated at high temperature with a selectivity of 45.1% and a yield of 4.3%, higher than those generated in similar polyoxometalates-ionic liquids system. The products distributions and residues of lignocellulose decomposition under various conditions were characterized; the influences of the ionic liquids anions on the polyoxometalates-ionic liquids complex formation, the acidic and redox properties of the catalyst, and the final products were profoundly investigated; and a tentative reacting process was proposed. The ionic liquid could be recycled for five times. This work not only provided a new lignocellulose decomposition strategy to produce aromatic products, but also offered a guidance for product-oriented lignocellulose decomposition.

Primary Benzylamines by Efficient N-Alkylation of Benzyl Alcohols Using Commercial Ni Catalysts and Easy-to-Handle Ammonia Sources

Primary benzylamines are highly important building blocks in the pharmaceutical and polymer industry. An attractive catalytic approach to access these compounds is the direct coupling of benzyl alcohols with ammonia via the borrowing hydrogen methodology. However, this approach is usually hampered by a series of side-reactions, one of the most prominent being the overalkylation of the formed primary amine. Herein, we describe a robust catalytic methodology, which utilizes commercially available heterogeneous Ni catalysts and easy-to-handle ammonia sources, such as aqueous ammonia or ammonium salts, for the formation of primary benzylamines with good selectivity and scope. Notably, our method enables the conversion of potentially lignin-derived vanillyl alcohol to vanillylamine, which can be used to produce emerging biobased polymers or as pharma building blocks. Important sugar derived platform alcohols as well as long chain aliphatic primary alcohols can be successfully aminated. Moreover, we provide an alternative, sustainable route to p-xylylenediamine and m-xylylenediamine, important components of heat resistant polyamides such as Kevlar.