Upgrading lignin for fair raw materials (LignUp)

Lignin is a biopolymer that is synthesized in the cells of perennial plants and ensures that they "lignify". In the pulp industry, lignin is separated and becomes a biogenic waste product, most of which is incinerated. The basic building blocks of lignin have a high utility value and processes for breaking them down are known. In the "LignUp" project, Prof. Dr. Martin Oschatz's team at the University of Jena is therefore focusing on the development of a material library and chemical-synthetic methods for the production of tailor-made (organic, inorganic and hybrid) functional materials from lignin components. In addition, specific fields of application for these materials are being tested, such as their use as an alternative to critical metals in electrochemical energy storage systems or in the recycling and extraction of critical raw materials. The aim is to upgrade lignin from a waste product to a raw or valuable material. To this end, the project team combines interdisciplinary expertise from the fields of energy materials, polymer chemistry, electrochemistry, spectroscopy, water treatment, surface and interface analysis, theoretical chemistry, life cycle analysis, recycling technology and environmental policy.