The electrocatalytic hydrogenation (ECH) of β-O-4 lignin model compounds has been carried out at constant current at Raney nickel and palladium-based cathodes in aqueous sodium hydroxide solution at temperatures ranging from 25 to 75°C. It was found that the hydrogenolysis of phenolic β-arylethyl-aryl ethers with one β-O-4 linkage takes place at both types of electrodes to give a mixture of phenolic compounds. The ECH of 1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1-ethanol (model 1) at Raney nickel gives guaiacol (9), acetovanillone (11b), alpha-methylvanillyl alcohol (12b), and products derived from their further hydrogenation. The β-O-4 bond is more difficult to cleave upon replacing one hydrogen of the methylene group of 1 by a hydroxymethyl group (see 2). However, model 4 with two β-O-4 linkages obtained by the introduction of an α-methylvanillyl group at the phenolic position of 1 is hydrogenolysed at the same rate as 1 at Raney nickel. Only the C-O aryl bond attached to the hydroxyethylphenol moiety is cleaved. At palladium, the hydrogenolysis of 1 requires only half of the theoretical amount of electricity due to the generation of chemisorbed hydrogen by dehydrogenation of 1 followed by hydrogenolysis of the resulting ketone. A general reaction scheme is proposed for the ECH of model 1.Key words: Lignins, lignin models, electrocatalytic hydrogenation, Raney nickel electrodes, palladium electrodes.

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The hydrogen evolution reaction on the Raney nickel composite-coated electrode is investigated in 1.04M NaOH aqueous solution at 70~ by ac impedance technique. In case of the chemically activated electrode material, the easiest pathway for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is the Volmer-Tafel mechanism, and the controlling step is the Volmer reaction with a small contribution of the Heyrovsky reaction. The electrode material becomes more electrocatalytic towards the HER after an electrochemical activation. In this case, the easiest pathway for the HER is the Volmer-Heyrovsky mechanism, both steps being rate-controlling.

Electrodes consisting of particles of a transition metal entrapped and dispersed in a reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) matrix were prepared in situ by stirring the particles in the presence of an RVC cathode. Such electrodes were used for the electrocatalytic hydrogenolysis (ECHsis) of 4-phenoxyphenol, a compound representative of the 4-O-5 type linkage in lignins. The electrolyses were carried out under galvanostatic control in aqueous 1 M NaOH. Raney nickel, nickel boride, and transition metals supported on activated charcoal or alumina were used as catalytic powders. The extent and efficiency of the ECHsis of 4-phenoxyphenol was found to depend on the catalyst and on the temperature.Key words: electrocatalytic hydrogenation, electrocatalytic hydrogenolysis, 4-phenoxyphenol, Raney nickel, palladium on charcoal, palladium on alumina.