催化学报 ›› 2026, Vol. 88: 35-85.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(26)65105-4

• 综述 • 上一篇    下一篇

过渡金属光催化剂用于木质素可持续转化生产生物燃料

雷文敏a, 张艳a, 孙大琳a, 班林a, 周恒a, 杨松a,*(), 景立权b,*(), 胡劲光c,*(), 张衡a,*()   

  1. a 贵州大学精细化工研究开发中心, 绿色农药全国重点实验室, 生物质资源综合利用国家地方联合工程实验室, 贵州贵阳 550025, 中国
    b 东北林业大学材料科学与工程学院, 生物质材料科学与技术教育部重点实验室, 黑龙江哈尔滨 150040, 中国
    c 卡尔加里大学化学与石油工程系, 阿尔伯塔省卡尔加里市, 加拿大
  • 收稿日期:2025-12-11 接受日期:2026-01-30 出版日期:2026-09-18 发布日期:2026-09-05
  • 通讯作者: *电子信箱: syang@gzu.edu.cn (杨松),
    hzhang23@gzu.edu.cn (张衡),
    liquan.jing@nefu.edu.cn (景立权),
    jinguang.hu@ucalgary.ca (胡劲光).
  • 基金资助:
    国家自然科学基金(32302418);贵州省科技创新平台研究计划(CXPTXM[2025]012);中央引导地方科技发展资金项目(黔科合中引地(2024)007)

Transition-metals photocatalysts for lignin valorization toward sustainable biofuel production

Wenmin Leia, Yan Zhanga, Dalin Suna, Lin Bana, Heng Zhoua, Song Yanga,*(), Liquan Jingb,*(), Jinguang Huc,*(), Heng Zhanga,*()   

  1. a State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, State-Local Joint Laboratory for Comprehensive Utilization of Biomass, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals of Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China
    b Key Laboratory of Bio-based Material Science & Technology, Material Science and Engineering College, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, Heilongjiang, China
    c Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N1N4, Canada
  • Received:2025-12-11 Accepted:2026-01-30 Online:2026-09-18 Published:2026-09-05
  • About author:Song Yang is a distinguished professor at Guizhou University, China. He obtained his Ph.D. from Guizhou University in 2005 and accepted a postdoctoral position in the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, USA. He was awarded with China National “Ten-Thousand-Talent Plan” and Distinguished Professor of Cheung Kong Scholars Program. His research interests include biofuels, discovery of new agrochemicals, and nanomaterials. He has authored over 50 patents and more than 300 scientific papers in international journals (H-index: 79). He is currently editor-in-chief of Current Catalysis and associate editor of Current Nanoscience.
    Liquan Jing (School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northeast Forestry University) obtained a bachelor's degree in 2014 and a doctoral degree in 2021, both from Jiangsu University. From 2021 to 2025, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Chemistry and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary, under the supervision of Prof. Jinguang Hu and Prof. Ian D. Gates. In early 2025, he joined the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Northeast Forestry University as a professor. His current research interests focus on designing and synthesizing multifunctional photocatalysts for sustainable hydrogen production, converting biomass into high-value bio-products, and methane conversion. He has published over 70 peer-reviewed papers.
    Jinguang Hu (Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Canada) received his Ph.D. degree in the University of British Columbia in 2014. After a postdoctoral fellow during 2014-2017, he moved to the University of Calgary as assistant professor in 2018. He is currently an Associate Professor and Schulich Research Chair in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary. He leads “Biomass and Biorefinery Research Lab” and his current research interests focus on biomass valorization, sustainable energy, biofuels and biochemicals, bioinspired materials/systems, and integrated agri-food-energy systems. He has co-authored over 300 peer-reviewed papers, and received numerous prestigious awards, including election to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, the CSChE Bao and Zhu Innovation Award, the CSChE Lectureship Award, the S.C. Trindade Award for Biofuels Research, and the Schulich Early Research Excellence Award. He serves on the External Advisory Board of the Canada Biomass Energy Network, am a member of the China-Canada Joint Centre for BioEnergy, and a Research Fellow of the Grizzly Bear Institute of Canada.
    Heng Zhang is Professor at the State-Local Joint Laboratory for Comprehensive Utilization of Biomass of Guizhou University. His research focuses on the controllable preparation of functional catalytic materials for heterogeneous photo/electro/thermal catalysis in biomass transformation. At present, he has published >100 papers (H-index: 47). He received the Guizhou Provincial Natural Science Award (first prize), Wiley China Excellent Author Program, and Elsevier-Stanford University list of world's 2% most-cited scientists. Currently, he is associate editor of Frontiers in Chemistry and editorial board member of several international journals.
  • Supported by:
    The National Natural Science Foundation of China(32302418);The Guizhou Provincial S&T Innovation Platform Research Program(CXPTXM[2025]012);The Central Government Guides Local Science and Technology Development Fund Projects(黔科合中引地(2024)007)

摘要:

木质素作为自然界中唯一的可再生芳香族聚合物, 是生产可持续生物燃料的理想前驱体. 然而, 木质素结构复杂、转化能垒高, 且产物选择性差, 对其高效转化构成了挑战. 传统的热化学催化方法通常依赖苛刻的反应条件, 且存在工艺成本高及环境危害显著等局限. 相比之下, 基于太阳能驱动的光催化技术可在温和条件下实现木质素转化, 为木质素资源化利用提供了绿色途径. 其中, 过渡金属基光催化剂通过精确调控活性位点, 促进木质素分子中特定化学键的选择性断裂, 从而实现产物的定向转化. 然而, 该领域的现有研究缺乏系统性讨论.
为此, 本文系统综述了过渡金属基光催化剂在木质素转化制备气体燃料及液体燃料前驱体领域的研究进展, 重点围绕催化机理、产物分布与反应工艺展开论述. 首先, 概述了木质素中典型的化学键类型(如β-O-4、α-O-4、β-1等), 分析了木质素在不同来源与预处理方式下的结构差异, 并强调不同结构特征对催化剂选择、反应路径与产物分布的关键影响. 重点阐述了光催化木质素转化的基本原理, 包括光生载流子的分离与传输机制、活性氧物种的形成及其在选择性断键中的作用. 其次, 基于木质素模型化合物(β-O-4为代表)重点讨论了不同过渡金属催化剂用于断裂C-O与C-C键的反应机理与产物选择性, 总结了异质结构建、缺陷工程和元素掺杂等策略对光吸收、电荷分离以及稳定性的提升作用, 并系统归纳了液体燃料前驱体的分布规律. 同时, 进一步针对实际木质素的转化体系, 对比分析含硫木质素与无硫木质素在光催化转化中面临的差异性挑战, 并总结了针对性的催化剂设计与反应介质优化的策略. 还探讨了木质素光催化转化与氢气、合成气等气体燃料联产的反应机制与可行性, 阐明木质素作为绿色牺牲剂, 可充分利用空穴氧化能力, 实现木质素资源化转化及可持续生物燃料生产的协同增效. 此外, 梳理了液体燃料前体升级转化路径, 并从技术可行性、经济成本及环境影响等角度进行综合评估. 最后, 指出了当前研究仍面临催化剂稳定性不足、产物选择性调控困难、复杂体系分离效率低, 难以实现规模化应用等挑战, 提出了潜在的解决方案并展望了未来可能的发展方向.
综上, 过渡金属光催化为木质素定向转化及可持续生物燃料的生产提供了具有前景的工艺途径, 目前已在机理理解和催化剂设计方面取得显著进展, 但其实际应用仍面临选择性、稳定性与工艺集成等挑战, 未来研究需致力于开发高效稳定的催化体系以实现其规模化应用.

关键词: 木质素, 光催化, 过渡金属, 燃料前驱体, 气体燃料

Abstract:

Lignin, one of the most abundant and renewable components of biomass, represents a promising feedstock for sustainable biofuel production. Photocatalytic conversion offers an efficient, environmentally benign, and mild route for lignin depolymerization. Transition-metal-based photocatalysts, in particular, enable precise modulation of photogenerated charge carriers and the creation of highly active catalytic sites, thereby facilitating selective lignin transformation while preserving its valuable aromatic motifs. Despite rapid advances, comprehensive reviews on transition metal-based photocatalysts for lignin-to-fuel conversion remain limited. This review systematically summarizes recent progress in transition-metal-based photocatalytic lignin valorization for both gaseous fuels and liquid fuel precursors. We analyze the key bond-cleavage mechanisms using lignin model compounds, uncovering structure-activity relationships between transition-metal catalysts design and lignin depolymerization behavior, and highlight the current challenges hindering practical applications. Furthermore, the synergistic interactions between photocatalytic routes to liquid and gaseous fuels are discussed. Finally, strategies for upgrading lignin-derived intermediates into usable fuels are evaluated, with attention to their technical, economic, and environmental feasibility. Overall, this review offers new insights and theoretical guidance for advancing transition metal-based photocatalytic systems toward efficient and sustainable lignin-to-biofuel conversion.

Key words: Lignin, Photocatalysis, Transition metals, Fuel precursor, Gaseous fuel