If lignocellulosic biomass is to serve as the carbon feedstock for future energy and chemical manufacture, it will be necessary to develop chemistry tools to disassemble it into fragments for further upgrading. Of particular interest is the lignin fraction of the biomass, as it is the most carbon- and energy-rich component and currently underutilized. This complex polymer consists of highly oxygenated and methoxy-substituted phenylpropane building blocks, mainly guaiacyl and syringyl moieties, held together by C-O or C-C linkages. This dissertation examines the use of Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation (ECH) at a Raney nickel cathode to depolymerize, hydrogenate, and deoxygenate lignin to biofuel and meanwhile investigates the reaction mechanisms of the ECH surface reactions of lignin monomer and dimer models. Along with new technology development, the safety of personnel should always be considered. Due to the expected major changes of chemical structures of the components of lignin biofuels, their potential impact on the human health is unexplored. Thus, this project seeks to analyze the risk associated with the newly emerging cyclic compounds in biofuel by comparing the toxicities for two of the representative compounds: cyclohexanol and cyclohexane.
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