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International audience; SEC elution curves of spruce milled wood lignin (MWL) and guaiacyl lignin polymer models (G-DHPs) in NN-dimethylformamide (DMF) exhibited a bimodal elution profile. Light scattering measurements indicated that these elution profiles were due to association effects between the molecules. This became apparent from the determination of high molar masses in the range 10(5)-10(8) g/mol. To study this effect, MWL and DHP were fractionated by precipitation in tetrahydrofuran (THF). The THF-insoluble fractions were found to be the fractions corresponding to the apparent high molar mass part of the DMF elution profiles. The THF-soluble fractions proved to be the less-associated fractions, with lower apparent molecular mass. The individual fractions proved to be rather stable in DMF. Accordingly, the bimodal elution profiles of the starting materials were not the result of an equilibrium between associated and molecular dispersed molecules but of different structures exhibiting a specific and stable association pattern. The different fractions were further characterised by SEC in THF after acetylation to determine molar masses in molecular disperse solutions.

In this paper, multivariate chemometric analysis of fluorescence spectra of juvenile and mature eucalyptus wood samples is used in order to investigate the existence of any correlation between fluorescence data and, the physical/chemical properties, as well as the pulping data of eucalyptus wood. The results obtained demonstrated that the wood of juvenile and adult trees could be discriminated by fluorescence spectroscopy. Data analysis also has shown the existence of good statistical correlation between fluorescence data on the one hand, and ash content, sodium hydroxide solubility, and lignin monomeric composition of the wood samples on the other hand. Moreover, fluorescence spectral data were found to be well correlated with the pulping yield and the Kappa number of the kraft pulps issued from the adult and juvenile eucalyptus wood.

Oxidants formed through the interaction between MnO2 and oxalate accumulated in rotten wood have been evaluated as abiotic agents possibly involved in wheat straw ligninolysis. The hemicellulose and cellulose content of straw remained unchanged, and no release of free soluble materials from lignin or polysaccharides could be evidenced. Structural analysis of oxidized lignin in situ has revealed up to 30% and 10% decrease of β-O-4 linked Guaiacyl and Syringyl units, respectively. Lignin phenolic moieties only were directly oxidized by MnO2/oxalate as no structural alteration was observed within extensively permethylated wheat straw. Modifications were also evidenced at the level of the cell wall linked cinnamic acids present in wheat straw. Esterified phenolic acids were more readily oxidized by Mn complexes than ethers analogues, and disappearance of ferulic moieties was always more pronounced than that of p-coumaric acids. The abiotic Mn oxidants generated from MnO2 and oxalate may therefore significantl...

Times Cited: 10 Cathala, B Aguie-Beghin, V Douillard, R Monties, B Symposium H on Biodegradable Polymers and Macromolecules, at the E-MRS 97/ICAM 97 Conference JUN 16-19, 1997 STRASBOURG, FRANCE 10 SI; International audience; The properties of two DHPs (dehydrogenation polymers) models of lignin are investigated at the air/water interface. Limiting area, relaxation behaviour and dilational modulus are discussed in relation to literature data for plant lignins.

4 tables 3 graph.; International audience; In order to test the reproducibility of the synthesis of dehydrogenation polymer models of lignin (DHPs), four samples obtained by the continous and discontinous synthesis (Zutropf method (ZT) and Zulauf method (ZL)) have been investigated by FTIR, thioacidolysis and GPC.

The monomeric composition of in situ lignins in sorghum, maize and wheat straw stems is investigated by two chemical degradation methods: thioacidolysis and alkaline nitrobenzene oxidation. It is shown that the structural information obtained in the case of lignin characterisation by alkaline nitrobenzene oxidation is strongly dependent on the reaction conditions, namely the temperature and the reaction time, as indicated by the significant variations in the yields of aromatic aldehydes that correspond to the three main constitutive lignin units, p -hydroxyphenyl (H), guaiacyl (G) and syringyl (S). Moreover, the complementary character of the two methods that stems from their different specificities is discussed in view of the molecular heterogeneity of lignins. Finally, the results obtained indicate a significant structural variability of the lignins of the three crops examined.

In plant cell walls, lignins, the second most abundant biopolymers, form 3D crosslinked molecular structures which interact with polysaccharides to form lignin-carbohydrate complexes. The incorporation of these phenolic polymers into synthetic polysaccharide-based composites is currently under investigation. The properties of the final material (mechanical strength, degradability,…) strongly depend on the degree of compatibility between such hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules. This phenomenon is expected to be in part related to the surface properties of lignins. Organosolve dioxane lignins were isolated from wheat straw and characterized with respect to their HPSEC elution profile ( M n =3.6×10 3 ), total sugar and esterified phenolic acid content (3 and 3.5%, respectively) and to the degradation yield of thioacidolysis (750 μ moles g −1 ). These lignins were then dissolved in a dioxane–water mixture and used for Langmuir trough experiments at the air–water interface. Compression isotherms (pressure/concentration) were obtained at 20°C by compressing the surface deposited layers at specified rates. A particular feature of the interfacial layers of lignin is that surface pressure relaxes strongly when compression is stopped. Thus, the compression isotherms exhibit a surface pressure which is roughly three times higher than the value reached after 48 h relaxation. These data suggest that previously reported isotherms have been determined in conditions far from equilibrium. Dilational moduli, measured at several surface concentrations, range from 13.5 to 72 mN m −1 . These special surface properties should determine a part of the behavior of lignins in blends.

Absorbance at 280 nm was used to determine lignin concentrations in solutions of cell walls from winter wheat whole-crop silage, stems, and straw. Three different cell wall preparations (hot water−organic solvent fiber, ethanol−benzene residue, neutral detergent fiber) were prepared and dissolved in either HCl−triethylene glycol or acetyl bromide. Three phenolic standard solutions were used to calculate lignin concentrations in the wheat materials from absorbance readings: mixtures of phenolic monomers based on aldehydes (HIGUCHI), aldehydes and acids (REEVES), and washed Indulin (WIND). Gravimetric Klason lignin determination on the cell wall preparations consistently gave higher values than spectrophotometric lignin analysis. Material recovered as cell wall was slightly greater for hot water−organic solvent fiber than for neutral detergent fiber and was lowest for ethanol−benzene residue, probably due to partial dissolution of cell wall components with the latter procedure. Acetyl bromide shifted UV sp...

The effect of temperature and time on the recovery yield of the products of alkaline nitrobenzene oxidation of in situ lignins in wheat straw inter-nodes and corresponding leaves were studied. The results showed that significant variations in the yields of aromatic aldehydes (p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, vanillin and syringaldehyde) as well as hydroxycinnamic acids (p-coumaric and ferulic acids) arise from changes in the temperature and the reaction time. The conditions for maximum yield depend on the aldehyde concerned. For example, the yield of p-hydroxybenzaldehyde increases with increasing temperature and reaction time. This phenomenon could be attributed to the low relative reactivity related to the specific electronic structure of the non-methoxylated units and/or to the existence of specific condensation reactions involving the p-hydroxyphenyl aromatic ring. Finally, the results indicate a much higher complexity of Gramineae lignins compared to those derived from hardwoods and softwoods.

The catalytic activity of a new oxidation-resistant Fe(III) meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)-β-tetrasulfonatoporphyrin [Fe(TF5PS4P)] on spruce milled wood lignin (MWL) and lignin in extractive free...

The molecular structure of lignins (occurrence of condensed and non-condensed monomeric units and associations with phenolic acids by ether and ester linkages) have been reviewed in this paper. Critical aspects of chemical determination of lignin content and monomeric composition have been discussed in the case of nitrobenzene oxidation and thioacidolysis. As an example of assessment of lignin biodegradation by peroxidases, lignin peroxidase and horseradish peroxidase have been compared, indicating that horseradish peroxidase is a ligninolytic enzyme, confirming the influence of the physical state of lignins on their biodegradability and the general difficulty to characterize biomacromolecules.

Organosolv lignin fractions were used as substrate for further investigations on the effect of bleaching and photoyellowing on lignin. These lignins were extracted from spruce TMP, bleached TMP (BTMP) and bleached and yellowed TMP (YBTMP). Furthermore, lignin fractions from TMP were also directly submitted to bleaching conditions and lignin fractions from BTMP to irradiation in the solid state. These lignin samples were all analyzed by thioacidolysis and FT-IR spectroscopy. The bleaching did not substantially change the lignin polymer but considerably destroyed some chromophoric structures such as coniferaldehyde end-groups. On the other hand, the photoyellowing resulted in marked degradations of lignin, shown by a decrease in the amount of β-O-4 and β-1 interunit bonds and a substantial increase in vanillin and vanillic acid end-groups and in catechol units.

Formation of standard guaiacyl-syringyl lignin has been shown, by thioacidolysis, during healing and suberization of wound potato tuber discs. Recovery of p -hydroxybenzaldehyde after nitrobenzene oxidation has been related to the presence of tyramine. Variations in the relative proportion of hydroxyphenyl, guaiacyl and syringyl degradation products obtained after nitrobenzene oxidation, thioacidolysis and alkaline hydrolysis suggest the formation, during suberization, of a complex phenolic network linked to the cell wall.

This paper reports the structural investigation of a series of in situ spruce lignins in wood, thermomechanical pulp (TMP) and the corresponding bleached (BTMP) and photoyellowed (YBTMP) samples. This was achieved by using an original two-step degradative technique, thioacidolysis followed by Raney nickel desulfuration. The determination of thioacidolysis monomeric and dimeric products allowed an estimate of various lignin building units and interunit bonds, respectively. It was observed that the thermomechanical and bleaching treatments did not affect spruce lignin structure to an appreciable extent. On the contrary, the photoyellowing treatment caused marked structural changes in lignin, particularly when run in severe conditions. These changes were essentially a decrease in the amount of β-O-4 and β-1 interunit bonds and a relative increase in catechol units and in vanillin end-groups.

Various spruce mechanical pulps were subjected to delignification with ethanol-water (1 : 1, v / v ) containing 0.1 M acetic acid at 175°C in a flow- through reactor. A thermomechanical pulp (TMP) and the corresponding samples derived from its bleaching (BTMP) and yellowing ( YBTMP ) treatments were delignified to a similar extent, about 70% of delignification degree, as compared with spruce wood. A series of five successive lignin fractions was recovered from each pulp sample and then characterized by various analytical methods. Large structural variations were observed within these fractions. The number of phenolic structures appeared to be an important factor influencing the dissolution of lignins in the ethanol-water medium. These lignin fractions were found to be different in the amount of β-aryl ether structures and in the relative importance of main carbon-carbon bonding patterns. The results are discussed in relation to the lignin fractionation in the flow-through reactor.

The GC-MS identification of the main dimers recovoered after thioacidolysis, then desulphuration over Raney nickel of spruce lignin allowed to characterize the various types of condensed linkages in softwood lignin. The major carbon-carbon bonds were observed to-be represented by the β-5, 5-5 and β-1 interunitary linkages established between two guaiacyl units, in agreement with literature data. Besides, minor linkage patterns were represented by dimers provided with the diphenyl ether, the phenylisochroman and the tetrahydrofuran structures

The rate of oxidation of spruce milled wood lignin by Phanerochaete chrysosporium was investigated with precipitated lignin as well as lignin finely dispersed in water (colloidal lignin). H2O2 consumption rates in the course of lignin oxidation in the presence of purified lignin peroxidase were much higher with colloidal lignin compared with precipitated lignin. Characterization of reaction products and molecular-size distribution confirms that reaction rate of lignin peroxidase with 14C-lignin is strongly dependent on the physical state of lignin. The lignin peroxidase catalyse mainly repolymerization of colloidal lignin. However, in the presence of veratryl alcohol, both polymerization and depolymerization were observed.

Heartwood of Quercus robur L. contains about 10% (w/w), of hexahydroxydiphenoyl esters (ellagitannins). Five of the most abundant hexahydroxydiphenoyl esters were purified by a combination of chromatography on Sephadex LH-20 and high-performance reversed-phase liquid chromatography. Two of them were identified as castalagin and vescalagin.

International audience; Kraft lignin and vanillyl alcohol (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl alcohol, used as model compound) were treated under acidic conditions (sulphuric and hydrochloric acid). Hydroxyl content and molar masses of dichloromethane extracted fractions were determined. The acidic treatment decreased the aliphatic hydroxyl content and so lowered the polarity of the lignin molecules without derivatization. Antioxidant properties in polypropylene of the treated fractions were increased compared to that of untreated ones.

International audience; Coniferyl alcohol was polymerised in the presence of pectin and a pectin-DHP complex was isolated. Characterisation of the complex has demonstrated that DHP (20% wt) was covalently linked by ester bonds to the pectin. The water sorption behaviour of the pectin-DHP complex was determined at several relative vapour pressures and compared with those obtained on pectin, DHP and a blend of both polymers in the same proportion as in the complex. The complex exhibited a lower hydrophilicity resulting from three associated phenomena: grafting, pectin-DHP interactions and the formation of a chemical network.

International audience; Dehydrogenation polymers (DHPs. lignin model compounds) were synthesized in the presence of increasing pectin concentrations using two different methods. The first method ('Zutropfverfahren'. ZT) consists in the slow adding of monomers whereas in the second method ('Zulaufverfahren', ZL) all the reactants are added simultaneously. DHPs solubility increases with the pectin concentration in the ZT experiments and remains stable in the ZL experiments. Covalent bonds between pectin and DHP are formed during ZT polymerization resulting in lignin carbohydrate complex (LCC) which keeps the unbound DHPs in solution by the formation of aggregate or micelle-like structures. In contrast LCC are not formed during the ZL process which behave like the DHP reference. The ZT DHP molar masses increase observed is attributed to the reactivity of the high molar mass polymer solubilized by the: LCC whereas ZL higher molar mass polymers are precipitated out of the solution and cannot react further.

Peroxidases and laccases are key enzymes in the lignin biodegradation process. They oxidize phenolic and non-phenolic lignin model compounds into their phenoxy and cation radicals, respectively. Further non-enzymatic evolution lead then to various C-C and ether bond cleavages. Nevertheless, almost no information on the structural alterations undergone in vitro or in situ by lignin after enzymatic catalysis is available. We report here on the molecular structure of lignin oxidized by various (per)oxidasic systems. The oxidizability of phenolic and non-phenolic structures of the guaiacyl and syringyl type in the lignin network will be discussed as well as the modification of the macromolecular properties of the polymer oxidized in situ or in isolated state.

Oxidation of spruce milled-wood lignins in colloidal state catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and lignin peroxidase (LiP) in the presence of H 2 O 2 was compared in nonbuffered dimethyl-formamide/water. Lignins were characterized for their hydrodynamic properties by size-exclusion chromatography and structural bonding pattern by analysis after thioacidolysis. In contrast to LiP, HRP did not induce modification of lignin hydrodynamic properties. The lignin content in β-O-4-linked guaiacyl monomers and dimeric structures, however, decreased after oxidation by the two enzymes, indicating large structural changes in the polymer. Preferential degradation by both LiP and HRP of β-5 and β-1 lignin dimeric units was also observed. This suggests a greater susceptibility to enzyme oxidation, as compared to the 5-5′ and 4-O-5 lignin substructures. In conclusion, the action of HRP on the lignin polymer is similar in many respects to that of fungal LiP, but is distinctly different in its inability to cause a net destructuring of the macromolecular three-dimensional network.

The 13 C INADEQUATE experiment has been applied to lignin, a natural biopolymer.

Arylglycerol-ether bonds of lignin samples or model compounds vera selectively cleaved by treatment with dioxane-ethanethiol (9/1, v/v) and 0.2 N HBF4 etherate or 0.2 N BF3 etherate at 100°C for four hour3. Monomers resulting from “thioacidolysis” were identified by gas chroraatography-mass spectrometry of their trimethylslly derivatives. Compared to acidolysls (dloxane-water, 0.2 N HCL, 100°C 4h), thioacidolysis yields less complex mixtures of monomers. The monomer yields for lignin thioacidolysis were also higher than for acidolysls. This increase was particularly evident for hardwood lignins.

In the case of proanthocyanidins, reaction with vanillin in the presence of sulfuric acid is more sensitive than estimation by anthocyanidin formation. It is more specific than the assay by formaldehyde precipitation. Reaction with nitrous acid affords a selective estimation of hexahydroxydiphenoyl esters. These methods are applied to tannin estimation in wood extracts of 5 gymnosperms and 12 angiosperms and the values obtained compared to total phenols amounts

Les polyphénols du bois de chêne, extractibles et composés liés à la paroi végétale = lignines, lignanes, tanins et aldéhydes phénoliques, ont été envisagés au niveau moléculaire de leurs relations avec les propriétés physico-chimiques des bois : retrait, porosité, propriétés mécaniques.Des résultats originaux ont été aussi présentés concernant le fractionnement des polyphénols pariétaux, l'incrustation des parois par les tanins hydrolysables: acide ellagique associé à des fractions de lignine, ainsi que la formation d'aldéhydes phénoliques (vanilline, syringaldéhyde, aldéhydes coniférylique et sinapylique) par pyrolyse douce de la lignine. Des mécanismes réactionnels hypothétiques ont été suggérés.+++Oak wood phenolics, extractives and cell wall linked compounds : lignins, lignans, tanins and phenolic aldehydes have been discussed, at the molecular level, in their relations with physico-chemical properties of wood = shrinking, permeability and mechanical properties.Unpublished results have been also reported concerning fractionnation of cell wall phenolics, incrustation of cell wall by tanins: ellagic acid associated with lignins fractions and formation of phenolic aldehydes (vanillin, syringaldehyde, coniferaldehyde, sinapaldehyde) during mild pyrolysis of lignin in oak wood. Hypotherical reaction mechanism have been suggested.

Publisher Summary A convenient method for the preparation of lignin fractions from biomass is provided by the combination of mild solvolytic conditions with a good lignin solvent. Dioxane is a particularly interesting isolating agent of lignin fractions because of its solubility parameter, which is very close to the optimum value for isolated lignin preparations. Preparation of dioxane acidolysis lignins has the main advantage of providing, in the shortest time, lignin fractions in high yields and in a form suitable for further chemical and biotechnological investigations. This chapter discusses two procedures for preparation of dioxane lignins with their quantitative and qualitative comparisons. Two procedures for isolation have been adapted: the first one is carded out at ambient temperature according to Freudenberg, and the second is performed at reflux temperature, approximating the procedure of Pepper et al. Acidolysis conditions are, however, similar to those chosen by Lapierre et al. for characterization of lignins by analysis of acidolysis products.

Structure des diastereoisomeres de type thioethylphenylpropane issus des thioacidolyses de lignine par chromatographie preparative combinee a la RMN et la spectroscopie de masse haute resolution

Extractive-free wheat straw, and the corresponding samples issued from its alkaline treatment — i.e. saponified wheat straw and alkali-soluble wheat lignin- were submitted to three chemical procedures of lignin characterization: nitrobenzene oxidation, acidolysis and thioacidolysis. The various performances of the three techniques were comparatively evaluated. The thioacidolysis procedure was found to have higher performances with regards to the two following criteria: the prominent alkyl aryl ether lignin structures were the almost exclusive source for the recovered degradation products; these products were obtained with a high yield. These advantages make the thioacidolysis procedure an unambiguous way to characterize grass lignins, even when present in low amounts.

Structure des diastereoisomeres syringyles issus de thioacidolyse de lignine de peuplier etablie apres HPLC preparative et analyses RMN du carbone 13 et du proton

To mimic the lignin polymerization process, mats of bacterial cellulose and of a pectin/cellulose composite were used as a host matrix for in vitro polymerization of coniferyl alcohol. A diffusion cell was used to allow the diffusion of both hydrogen peroxide and coniferyl alcohol into the peroxidase impregnated cellulose mats through dialysis membranes. The results indicate that significant polymerization occurs within the mats. The resulting binary and ternary blends were imaged by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and characterized by chemical means. The presence of pectin induces a better dispersion of the synthetic lignin in the cellulose network and enhances the proportion of alkyl-aryl-ether in the polymer.