The invention discloses a method for degrading lignin and model compound thereof through photocatalytic oxidation in a binary ionic liquid system, under a mild condition and by a one-pot method. In the method, binary ionic liquid comprises disubstituted imidazole ionic liquid and sulfo functionalized imidazole ionic liquid. The method is characterized in that the lignin model compound can be oxidatively degraded under the condition of low temperature (below 100 DEG C), atmospheric air and natural visible light irradiation, the highest conversion rate is 98.3%, products are benzoic acid and phenol, and the highest yields are 91.7% and 76.8% respectively; the natural lignin is oxidatively degraded to obtain acidic, phenolic and aldehydic aromatic products such as 4-ethylbenzoic acid, phloroglucinol and 4-methylphenylacetaldehyde. The method is environment-friendly and high-efficiency, the used ionic liquid can be recycled, the reaction operation condition is mild, the energy consumptionis low, and a technology is environment-friendly and safe; by the method, the problems of high energy consumption, high temperature, high pressure and a strict reaction condition in the conventional lignin oxidation method and the like are solved, and a novel method support is provided for industrialization of biomass degradation.