Current methods for
processing lignocellulosic biomass fail to
take full advantage of the phenolic chemicals available in lignin,
the third most common polymer on the planet. The complexity of the
lignin polymer structure, the lack of knowledge of the mechanisms
by which it breaks down, and the difficulties in predicting and controlling
the reaction product distribution make improvement in processing methods
challenging. The use of model compounds, which contain only a few
key features of the native polymer, allow the reactivity of the overall
polymer to be investigated more simply by isolating key elements.
In our previous work, we examined the mechanism of acidolysis for
two α-O-4 lignin model compounds, benzylphenyl ether (BPE) and
1-(phenoxyethyl)benzene (PEB). In the present work, we examine the
rate-limiting step of this mechanism, a nucleophilic attack on the
α-carbon commensurate with protonation of the ether oxygen,
for other α-O-4 model compounds that contain features more reminiscent
of native lignin, including compounds based on native model dimers.
The effects of individual substituents and combinations of substituents
are also examined in order to determine their contributions to the
reactivity of native lignin dimers. Simple relationships are examined
between ground-state properties and reactivity. The results of these
calculations show that the effects of substituents on the reactivity
of BPE-based compounds are quite different from those of PEB-based
compounds. While reasonable correlations can be found for BPE reactivity
and properties across substituents, PEB shows much less predictable
reactivity except among small subsets of substituents. Overall, the
trends observed here provide useful information about the reactivity
of α-O-4 bonds in lignin during acidolysis as a function of
the local chemical environment.