SUPERVISOR: Antje POTTHAST

PROJECT ASSIGNED TO: Dmitrii DANILOV

Lignin is the second most abundant biopolymer on Earth and the only large-scale renewable source of aromatic carbon. It is generated as a by-product of the pulp and paper industry, where it is commonly referred to as technical lignin. 

Despite its abundance, technical lignin is still predominantly burned for thermal energy, while its valorisation into high-value chemicals and functional materials remains limited.

During industrial processing, lignin undergoes extensive chemical transformations that lead to the formation of non-native and condensed motifs, thus increasing its already high structural complexity.

A deeper understanding of these hidden structures is essential for establishing reliable structure–property relationships and for enabling the rational design of lignin-based chemicals, polymers, and functional materials. This PhD project aims to address this knowledge gap through a systematic investigation of the molecular structures present in technical lignins.