Scheme 12.

Mild oxidative pathways catalysed by vanadium‐oxo complexes, CuCl/TEMPO or Cu(OTf)/TEMPO, for cleavage of β‐O‐4‐linked lignin model species: (upper) 1‐(3,5‐dimethoxyphenyl)‐2‐(2‐methoxyphenoxy)propane‐1,3‐diol, and: (lower) 1‐(4‐hydroxy‐3,5‐dimethoxyphenyl)‐2‐(2‐methoxyphenoxy)propane‐1,3‐diol.