Carbon-carbon bond cleavage for lignin and plastics deconstruction.

Authors

Davide Rigo, Brandon L Frey, Alison Sy-Min Chang, Marcos G Farpón, Erik T Ouellette, Yuriy Román-Leshkov, Gregg T Beckham, Joseph M Samec

Published in

Chemical Society reviews. Sep 17, 2026. Epub Sep 17, 2026.

Abstract

The cleavage of C-O bonds has enabled significant progress in both lignin valorization and recycling of polyester plastics. However, for the more recalcitrant fraction(s) of these feedstocks - namely, C-C linkages found in lignin and polymer backbones - the selective cleavage of C-C bonds remains a critical challenge. Selective cleavage of these bonds is essential to enhance both the carbon efficiency and economic viability of biorefining and plastics deconstruction to value-added products. This review provides an overview of the available methodologies for C-C bond cleavage useful for lignin and plastics deconstruction, with particular focus on accessible reaction mechanisms. Methods for C-C bond cleavage from other areas of chemistry are considered alongside approaches specifically applied to lignin and plastics. We provide perspective on promising C-C bond cleavage methods, substrate classes, engineering considerations, and guidelines for reporting C-C bond cleavage yields.

PMID:
42750664
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 17 Sep 2026.

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