Unlocking the potential of a sleeping giant: lignins as sustainable raw materials for renewable fuels, chemicals and materials.

The author looks at the potential of lignins, one of the main components of non-edible, lignocellulosic biomass, as sustainable raw materials for renewable fuels, chemicals and materials. Topics covered include the importance of ligin for the economic viability of current and future biorefinery operations, the challenges for its efficient valorisation, and the growing interest of the scientific community in lignin's applications and catalytic conversions.