Hydrogen gas was captured from native lignin using the catalyst Cp*Ir and the dehydrogenative lignin could be further degraded with the help of Zn & NH ₄ Cl through a two-step one pot process.

Photocatalytic dehydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-diformylfuran under visible-light illumination: complete conversion and high selectivity can be achieved without any oxidants, additives or any conventional hydrogen acceptors.

Here, we report an inexpensive nickel-phosphine complex that can catalyse neat levulinic acid (LA) to γ-valerolactone (GVL) without additive at 1 atm H₂, and the catalyst can be reduced to 0.01 mol% at 30 atm. 5.8 kg LA was successfully converted to GVL in a yield of 94% with 0.1 mol% catalyst. DFT calculations and in situ APXPS indicate that L–Ni⁺–H species are the key active intermediates.

A heterogeneous metal-free photocatalytic system was developed for photocatalytic aerobic oxidation of biomass-based furfural derivatives to prepare γ-butyrolactone under mild conditions (visible light, room temperature, no base, and O ₂ balloon).