Combinaison d'outils chimiques et biologiques de transformation pour une valorisation en cascade de la lignine

International audience; Lignins are versatile phenolic polymers occurring naturally in the cell-wall of vascular plants supporting tissues. Their multifunctionality, together with the necessity to valorize their industrial derivatives in order to improve biorefineries sustainability, currently stimulates intensive research and innovation at international level. Whereas using industrial lignins as renewable fuel is the main route exploited nowadays, new strategies have been implemented this last decade to convert lignins into higher-value products. One of this strategy consists in combining chemical tools and biological transformation to produce a set of products fitting with industry requirements in terms of homogeneity, purity and functionalities. The case of the Zelcor European project ("Zero-waste Ligno-cellulosic Bio-refineries", H2020 BBI-JU project) is used here to illustrate the possibility to recover standardized antioxidant extracts of interest for plastics and cosmetics along with carbohydrate-rich substrates suitable for bioconversions or composites production. Efforts to limit as far as possible the environmental impact of the process are presented and discussed, including the use of ionic liquids as alternative solvents and/or reagents for lignin depolymerisation.