Sonocatalysis: A Potential Sustainable Pathway for the Valorization of Lignocellulosic Biomass and Derivatives

Lignocellulosic biomass represents a natural renewable chemical feedstock that can be used to produce high value-added chemicals and platform molecules. Nowadays, there are extensive studies on a variety of aspects concerning the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass into desirable products. Among the current technologies for biomass conversion some require extreme conditions along with high temperatures and pressures. Therefore, major technological innovations based on more economical and environmental methodologies are currently developed both in academic laboratories and in industry. In this context, ultrasound-assisted catalysis constitutes an alternative method offering new strategies to upgrade biomass. The possibility of combining catalysis with sonication indeed provides avenues that are worth exploring for the valorization of lignocellulosic compounds into value-added chemical feedstocks. In this mini-review, the available sonochemical systems are first presented, with a focus on the most important ultrasonic parameters, which is intended to provide a mechanistic background. Next, this contribution aims to provide insight into the most recent developments along with prominent examples in the field of sonocatalysis applied to the chemical transformation of lignocellulosic biomass and its derivatives.