Catalyst-Free Hydrogenolysis of Lignin beta-O-4 Ketone Models with Water as an H-transfer Reagent

It was found that lignin beta-O-4 ketone models could undergo smoothly the hydrogenolysis via light-induced water-donating transfer hydrogenation, which provides an example of using inexpensive and eco-friendly water as the H-transfer reagent to enable hydrogenolysis of lignin beta-O-4 ketone models under catalyst-free condition. Preliminary mechanistic investigations suggest that the mechanistic pathway involves the formation of acetophenone radicals.