Liquid phase pyrolysis of wheat straw and poplar in hexadecane solvent

•-Degradative extraction of lignocellulose by liquid hexadecane at 350 °C.•40–49 wt% of the lignocellulosic carbon could be transferred to the solvent.•Together with carbon high amount of oxygen was transferred to the solvent.•Heterogeneous catalysts are active in splitting extracted macromolecules.•SPME analysis of the dissolved degradation products.