Quantitative1H and13C NMR spectroscopy of lignins from an aqueous ethanolic cook of aspen wood

General and comparative characteristics obtained by¹H and¹³C NMR spectroscopy of the lignins from aqueous ethanolic cooks are presented. It is shown that degradation of the lignin macromolecule takes place during the digestion of aspen wood. The mean length of the lignin side chains decreases and ether bonds are cleaved, while the degree of condensation of the substances increases.Irkutsk State University. Irkutsk Institute of Organic Chemistry, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 277–285, March–April, 1993.     

Chemical transformations of lignin during the biodegradation and organosolv pulping of deciduous wood

The lignins from the liquors in the organosolv pulping of aspen wood treated with wood-destroying fungi have been investigated using quantitative¹H and¹³C NMR spectroscopy and exclusion liquid chromatography. It has been shown that the biodegradation of lignin takes place in different ways according to the complex of enzymes produced by the fungi. Phanerochaete sanguinea causes degradation through predominant cleavage at alkyl-phenyl bonds, and Trametes villosus at the C-C bonds of the aliphatic chain. In addition to degradation reactions, polymerization (condensation) reactions also take place with the appearance of new C_ar-O-C and C_ar-C bonds. It has been established that the biological pretreatment of aspen wood ensuring partial degradation of the lignin leads to its more ready extraction in the process of organosolv pulping.Wood Chemistry Division of the Irkutsk Institute of Organic Chemistry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 603–610, July–August, 1995. Original article submitted May 23, 1994.     

Destruction of aspen wood by the fungusPhanerochaete sanguinea quantitative1H and13C NMR spectroscopies of biologically degraded lignin

The lignin of mechanically ground aspen wood and lignins isolated from aspen wood attacked by the fungusPhanerochaete sanguinea have been investigated by quantitative¹H and¹³C NMR spectroscopies. It has been shown that the biodestruction of the lignin takes place through the cleavage of alkyl-aryl and aryl-aryl bonds and is accompanied by demethylation (demethoxylation) reactions, and the oxidation of C and C atoms. In addition to reactions in which the C—C bonds are cleaved, the formation of ether bonds has been observed. An interconnection has been shown between the variations in the amount of functional groups, fragments, and the bonds in biolignins and the loss in mass of the wood. A method is proposed for evaluating the carbohydrate content in lignin preparations using the NMR method.Wood Chemistry Branch of the Institute of Organic Chemistry, Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk. Irkutsk State University. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 547–557, July–August, 1994.     

PMR spectra of the lignins ofCystoseira barbata at different ages

The PMR spectra of the dioxane lignins from the brown algaCystoseira have been studied. It has been established that the lignins isolated from specimens ofCystoseira of different ages have different degrees of substitution of the C₃ side chain and differ in their degree of condensation. The most highly condensed is the dioxane lignin of young specimens ofCystoseira (age up to one year) and the least condensed the Björkman lignin ofCystoseira aged more than three years. All the PMR spectra of preparations of the lignin of the alga under investigation contain the signals of protons present in coumaran structures, their amount being the greatest in the lignins of the youngest samples and decreasing with increasing age of the alga.Odessa Institute of Structural Engineering. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 91–94, January–February, 1983.     

Study of the IR spectra of the products of the ethanolysis of oak and pine lignins

Summary The IR spectra of a number of compounds formed in the ethanolysis of the lignin of foliate and coniferous species have been studied using samples of ethanol lignin, vanillin, syringic aldehyde, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, guaiacylacetone, coniferyl and sinapic aldehydes, vanilloyl methyl ketone, -hydroxypropiovanillone, -ethoxypropiosyringone, and vanillic and gallic acids. Differences in the absorption at 1330–1340 cm^–1 have been found in the spectra of samples of ethanol lignin from oak and pine. Oak lignin has a strong maximum which is absent in pine lignin. Thus, the lignins of foliate and confierous species can be distinguished by the absorption in the spectral region from 1330 to 1340 cm^–1.Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 208–213, 1967     

An investigation of the lignins of healthy and wilt-affected cotton plants of variety Tashkent-1 according to the vegetation periods

Summary 1. The dioxane lignins of healthy and wilt-affected cotton plants of variety Tashkent-1 have been isolated and have been studied comparatively in relation to the vegetation period. On the basis of elementary and functional analysis, semiempirical formulas of the dioxane lignins isolated (DLCT-I to -VII) have been determined and it has been established that the dioxane lignins isolated from the wilt-affected plants contain more OCH₃ groups per phenyl-propane structural unit than the lignins of healthy plants.2. The molecular-weight distributions of the dioxane lignins have been studied and it has been shown that all the dioxane lignins isolated are polydisperse, those of the affected plants to a greater degree.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 260–264, March–April, 1978.     

Hydrogenolysis of rice husk lignin. IV

The hydrogenolysis of rice husk protolignin and of rice husk hydrolysis lignin in the presence of catalyst D-101, which is used in the hydrocracking of petroleum, has been studied. A substantial amount of products with syringyl structures has been found in the lignin cleavage products. The hydrogen content of the hydrol lignins isolated was considerably higher than that of the analogous lignins obtained on hydrogenolysis with the use of other catalysts.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Scientific-Research Chemical and Technical Institute of the Medical and Microbiological Industry, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 602–605, July–August, 1993.     

Hydrogenolysis of rice husk lignins

The hydrogenolysis of the protolignin, the hydrolysis lignin, and the dioxane lignin of rice husks in the presence of demethylated lignin as catalyst has been studied. The breakdown of the lignins into low-molecular-mass compounds took place with yields comparable with those obtained by hydrogenolysis using other catalysts.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, fax (3712) 89 14 75. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 611–613, July–August, 1995. Original article submitted November 21, 1994.     

Destruction of aspen wood by the fungusPhanerochaete sanguinea quantitative1H and13C NMR spectroscopies of biologically degraded lignin

The lignin of mechanically ground aspen wood and lignins isolated from aspen wood attacked by the fungusPhanerochaete sanguinea have been investigated by quantitative¹H and¹³C NMR spectroscopies. It has been shown that the biodestruction of the lignin takes place through the cleavage of alkyl-aryl and aryl-aryl bonds and is accompanied by demethylation (demethoxylation) reactions, and the oxidation of C_α and C_γ atoms. In addition to reactions in which the C—C bonds are cleaved, the formation of ether bonds has been observed. An interconnection has been shown between the variations in the amount of functional groups, fragments, and the bonds in biolignins and the loss in mass of the wood. A method is proposed for evaluating the carbohydrate content in lignin preparations using the NMR method.     

Study of the lignin of cotton plants of the variety AN Bayaut-2. I

The dioxane lignin has been isolated from ripe stems of a cotton plant of the variety AN Bayaut-2. Its developed empirical formula has been derived, its UV, IR, and PMR spectra have been recorded, and its molecular weight has been determined. It has been shown that the dioxane lignins of the stems of cotton plants of different varieties differ in chemical structure.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 101–104, January–February, 1986.     

Schematic structure of a fragment of the cottonplant lignin macromolecule

A schematic structure has been proposed for an average fragment of the macromolecule of cottonplant dioxane lignin on the basis of the results of a chemical study and quantitative¹H and¹³C NMR spectroscopy.Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 234–236, March–April, 1996. Original article submitted June 27, 1994.     

Solution and solid state13C-NMR of barley straw lignins

Grass lignins are formed by the polymerization of phenoxy radicals and contain a variety of carbon-carbon and carbon-oxygen bonds. They are similar to the hardwood lignins, but differ by containing a substantial proportion of esterified cinnamic acids. Detailed nuclear magnetic resonance studies in conjunction with chemical analysis have given new information on the structure of grass lignins. Milled straw lignins (MSL) from barley were examined by both solution and solid-state (CP/MAS) NMR before and after acetylation. The assignment of the carbon-13 (100 MHz) solution spectra was achieved using model compound data, nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) suppression, and insensitive nuclei enhanced by polarization transfer (INEPT) techniques. The NOE suppression permitted quantitative analysis of lignin, giving information on the ratio of specific carbon atoms. Use of the relaxation agent, chromium acetylacetonate, enabled accumulation of sufficient spectral data to give a spectrum suitable for integration after 90 h. The INEPT technique, which had not previously been used for lignin analysis, was successfully applied to acetylated MSL. This technique increased signal intensities 3–4-fold and simplified the spectrum by inverting methylene carbons and eliminating or inverting quaternary carbons. Comparison of this spectrum with the normal spectrum permitted accurate assignment of quaternary and methine carbons. The solid-state carbon-13 CP/MAS NMR was used to examinein situ lignin and the isolated MSL. The¹³C-CP/MAS spectrum ofin situ lignin shows that cellulose and hemicellulose resonances dominate with little evidence ot the aromatic structure of lignin. the¹³C-CP/MAS of MSL shows reduced carbohydrate resonances and increased aromatic resonances. The extent of modification to the barley straw was estimated and results indicate the presence oflignin-carbohydrate complexes. Detailed information on the nature of the linkages between lignin components and between lignin and carbohydrate components has been obtained from these spectra.     

Quantitative1H and13C NMR spectroscopies of cottonplant dioxane lignin

A comparative analysis has been made of the dioxane lignins of the stems, seedling shoots, and seed coats of the cotton plant. The ratio of p-hydroxyaromatic, guaiacyl, and syringyl units in the macromolecules of the lignins has been determined, and so have the amounts of functional groups and bonds. It has been established that the main difference between the dioxane lignins from seedling shoots and seed coats of the cotton plant, on the one hand, and the lignin from the woody stems, on the other hand is a lower content of syringyl and guaiacyl units in the former.Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 798–808, November–December, 1994.     

Sulfomethylation of lignins

Water-soluble derivatives have been obtained by the sulfomethylation of technical lignins. Their semiempirical formulas have been calculated and the introduction of a sulfomethyl group into the lignin macromolecule is discussed on the basis of these formulas.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, fax (3712) 40 64 75. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 222–225, March–April, 1998.     

Investigation of peculiarities of the composition and structure of methylalumoxanes:27Al and1H NMR spectra of trimethylaluminum and products of its incomplete hydrolysis

Trimethylaluminum and the methylalumoxanes produced by its incomplete (controlled) hydrolysis in various organic solvents have been investigated by²⁷Al and¹H NMR spectroscopy. Differences in the properties and spectral characteristics of methylalumoxanes obtained in toluene and pentane have been found.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1453–1457, August, 1993.     

Sorption of polar components of cottonseed oil by hydrolysis lignins and modified lignins

The sorption activities of hydrolysis lignins from wood and from rice and cottonseed hulls and of modified lignins relative to the polar components of crude cottonseed oil in a nonpolar solvent have been studied.Institute of Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 414–416, May–June, 1991.     

Change in the structural elements of cotton-plant lignins in the various vegetation periods

Summary 1. The dioxane lignins of the cottonplant of various vegetation periods have been studied, and it has been shown that the lignin changes in the course of the development of the plant: the amount of methoxy groups increases and the amount of phenolic hydroxy groups decreases.2. Gel chromatography of the lignins has shown that they are all polydisperse with a predominance of the high-molecular-weight fraction.3. The 3,4-diethoxybenzaldehyde detected in the products of the alkaline nitrobenzene oxidation of dioxane lignin of the early vegetation period after its ethylation with diethyl sulfate is a direct proof of the presence of catechol structural units in cotton-plant lignin.4. A quantitative determination of the catechol structures in the lignins of the cottonplant has shown that their amount decreases as the plant develops.5. By decomposing the lignins with sodium and liquid ammonia, the presence in them of guaiacyl, syringyl, and p-coumaryl structural units has been confirmed and it has been shown that the lignin becomes less condensed as the plant grows, which is apparently connected with an increase in the degree of its methoxylation.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 100–107, January–February, 1977.     

Kinetic Study of the Thermal Decompositions of Biopolymers Extracted From Various Plants

A knowledge of the kinetics of decomposition of biopolymers on heating is important mainly in two domains: forest fires and the incineration of biomass for the production of electric energy. For the study by thermogravimetry of biopolymers (cellulose, holocellulose and lignin), samples of several Mediterranean plants were used.The cellulose decomposition fits well with apparent first-order kinetics. The activation energy in an air flow is about 185 kJ mol^–1. It ranges between 149 and 200 kJ mol^–1 for holocellulose (cellulose+hemicellulose) in an air flow. Under nitrogen, the values are higher. Differences in the chemical structures of the hemicelluloses (pentosan and hexosan) may explain these variations. The lignins also display various chemical structures. We observed large differences in the thermal decompositions of the various samples. The decomposition rate is increased in a nitrogen flow containing 6% oxygen. We observed a correlation between the maximum decomposition rate and the heating rate. This variation presents a particular form (linear with two slopes). Only the second part seems to be interesting.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Lignin as a Partial Polyol Replacement in Polyurethane Flexible Foam

This study was focused on evaluating the suitability of a wide range of lignins, a natural polymer isolated from different plant sources and chemical extractions, in replacing 20 wt.% of petroleum-based polyol in the formulation of PU flexible foams. The main goal was to investigate the effect of unmodified lignin incorporation on the foam’s structural, mechanical, and thermal properties. The hydroxyl contents of the commercial lignins were measured using phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance (³¹P NMR) spectroscopy, molar mass distributions with gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and thermal properties with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques. The results showed that incorporating 20 wt.% lignin increased tensile, compression, tear propagation strengths, thermal stability, and the support factor of the developed PU flexible foams. Additionally, statistical analysis of the results showed that foam properties such as density and compression force deflection were positively correlated with lignin’s total hydroxyl content. Studying correlations between lignin properties and the performance of the developed lignin-based PU foams showed that lignins with low hydroxyl content, high flexibility (low T_g), and high solubility in the co-polyol are better candidates for partially substituting petroleum-based polyols in the formulation of flexible PU foams intended for the automotive applications.     

Reductive cleavage by metallic sodium in liquid ammonia of cotton lignin

Twofold cleavage with sodium in liquid ammonia of the dioxane lignin and fourfold cleavage of the native lignin from cotton stems have shown that the uncleaved parts of lignin have molecular masses 2–4 times lower than the initial lignins and consist of 15–17 phenylpropane structural units.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Uzbek SSR Academy of Sciences, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 412–416, May–June, 1989.