biostudies-literatureLiu ZNational Natural Science Foundation of China4716https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9372153biostudies-literatureUnknown13(1)Producing monomeric phenols from lignin biopolymer depolymerization in a detachable and efficient manner comes under the spotlight on the fullest utilization of sustainable lignocellulosic biomass. Here, we report a low-loaded and highly dispersed Ru anchored on a chitosan-derived N-doped carbon catalyst (RuN/ZnO/C), which exhibits outstanding performance in the reductive catalytic fractionation of lignocellulose. Nearly theoretical maximum yields of phenolic monomers from lignin are achieved, corresponding to TON as 431 mol_phenols mol_Ru^-1, 20 times higher than that from commercial Ru/C catalyst; high selectivity toward propyl end-chained guaiacol and syringol allow them to be readily purified. The RCF leave high retention of (hemi)cellulose amenable to enzNature communicationsRational highly dispersed ruthenium for reductive catalytic fractionation of lignocellulose.PMC937215331971607Fang YLi HLiu ZGuo XWang SGao XSong GfalseRational highly dispersed ruthenium for reductive catalytic fractionation of lignocellulose.Producing monomeric phenols from lignin biopolymer depolymerization in a detachable and efficient manner comes under the spotlight on the fullest utilization of sustainable lignocellulosic biomass. Here, we report a low-loaded and highly dispersed Ru anchored on a chitosan-derived N-doped carbon catalyst (RuN/ZnO/C), which exhibits outstanding performance in the reductive catalytic fractionation of lignocellulose. Nearly theoretical maximum yields of phenolic monomers from lignin are achieved, corresponding to TON as 431 mol_phenols mol_Ru^-1, 20 times higher than that from commercial Ru/C catalyst; high selectivity toward propyl end-chained guaiacol and syringol allow them to be readily purified. The RCF leave high retention of (hemi)cellulose amenable to enz2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Aug2025-04-27T03:23:35.14Z2025-04-06T18:46:44.798ZS-EPMC93721533595349710.1038/s41467-022-32451-5