<p>This study focuses on the production of high-value chemicals from pistachio soft skin (PSS). The biooils generated from the pyrolysis of PSS, both with and without calcium oxide and calcium carbonate as catalysts, were examined at pyrolysis temperatures of 573 and 773 K. Various analytical techniques, including thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gas chromatography (GC), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), were employed to investigate the effects of different process parameters on the quality and quantity of the products. The maximum yield of the produced biooil was approximately 27.6%, achieved at 773 K using CaCO₃ as the pyrolysis catalyst. Over 35 chemical components were identified in the biooil through GC/MS analysis. The predominant components of the biooil include 5-methyl-2-pyridinamine (30%), 3-undecylphenol (14%), 3-pentadecylphenol (9%), phenol (9%), 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid diisooctyl ester (4%) and hexadec-7-en-16-olide (2.5%). The chemical compositions of the produced biooils at the two different pyrolysis temperatures, with and without catalysts, were relatively similar. However, several new components were identified at higher temperature, and the yields of certain chemicals varied by up to 5% depending on the catalyst used. These results show the significant potential of producing value added chemicals from the biomass of PSS.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>