“…Vanillin, a highly popular spice worldwide, is extensively used in food additives, perfumes, and daily-use chemicals. 1 Traditionally, it is derived from fossil fuels through the Solvay route, 2 which involves the oxidation of vanillyl alcohol to vanillin using methanol as a solvent. In addition to the Solvay route, about 15% of vanillin is directly isolated from depolymerized lignin derivatives through upcycling, 3–5 presenting an eco-friendly method that avoids reliance on fossil fuels.…”