It was found that lignin β-O-4 ketone models could undergo smoothly the hydrogenolysis via light-induced water-donating transfer hydrogenation, which provides an example of using inexpensive and eco-friendly water as the H-transfer reagent to enable hydrogenolysis of lignin β-O-4 ketone models under catalyst-free condition. Preliminary mechanistic investigations suggest that the mechanistic pathway involves the formation of acetophenone radicals.
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