Potential Value of Wood Tar as a Natural Fungicide against Valsa mali

The Valsa canker caused by Valsa mali seriously harmed the production of East Asian apples and caused very significant economic losses. Considering the chemical residues and the improvement of people’s awareness of environmental protection, there is a need for screening new green pesticides for the control of Valsa canker. Therefore, we conducted systematic evaluations on the antifungal activity of wood tar. In this research, the effective concentration (EC₅₀) of six strains of V. mali to wood tar was determined, and the EC₅₀ ranged from 69.54 to 92.81 μg/mL. After treatment with wood tar, the hyphae of V. mali broke, swelled, and deformed; the permeability of the cell membrane increased; and the activity of pectinase reduced. Moreover, the expression levels of five genes related to pectinase also decreased significantly. In addition, the activities of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and peroxidase (POD) of apple leaves treated with wood tar also increased. On detached apple branches, wood tar also showed therapeutic and protective activities. In the 2016–2019 field experiments, wood tar also showed good efficacy against Valsa canker and promoted the formation of callus. (In the experiments from 2016 to 2019, it can be seen that the control effect of 50% wood tar and 100% wood tar in the field is above 75% and promoted the formation of callus.) This study is the first to report the bidirectional efficacy of wood tar against Valsa mali and for trunk wound healing. The above results evidenced that wood tar has great potential to be developed as a natural alternative to commercial fungicides for the management of apple Valsa canker.     

Molecular Characteristics and Antioxidant Activity of Spruce (Picea abies) Hemicelluloses Isolated by Catalytic Oxidative Delignification

Spruce (Picea abies) wood hemicelluloses have been obtained by the noncatalytic and catalytic oxidative delignification in the acetic acid-water-hydrogen peroxide medium in a processing time of 3–4 h and temperatures of 90–100 °C. In the catalytic process, the H₂SO₄, MnSO₄, TiO₂, and (NH₄)₆Mo₇O₂₄ catalysts have been used. A polysaccharide yield of up to 11.7 wt% has been found. The hemicellulose composition and structure have been studied by a complex of physicochemical methods, including gas and gel permeation chromatography, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The galactose:mannose:glucose:arabinose:xylose monomeric units in a ratio of 5:3:2:1:1 have been identified in the hemicelluloses by gas chromatography. Using gel permeation chromatography, the weight average molar mass M_w of hemicelluloses has been found to attain 47,654 g/mol in noncatalytic delignification and up to 42,793 g/mol in catalytic delignification. Based on the same technique, a method for determining the α and k parameters of the Mark–Kuhn–Houwink equation for hemicelluloses has been developed; it has been established that these parameters change between 0.33–1.01 and 1.57–472.17, respectively, depending on the catalyst concentration and process temperature and time. Moreover, the FTIR spectra of the hemicellulose samples contain all the bands characteristic of heteropolysaccharides, specifically, 1069 cm⁻¹ (C–O–C and C–O–H), 1738 cm⁻¹ (ester C=O), 1375 cm⁻¹ (–C–CH₃), 1243 cm⁻¹ (–C–O–), etc. It has been determined by the thermogravimetric analysis that the hemicelluloses isolated from spruce wood are resistant to heating to temperatures of up to ~100 °C and, upon further heating, start destructing at an increasing rate. The antioxidant activity of the hemicelluloses has been examined using the compounds simulating the 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radicals.     

A New Protocol for Ash Wood Modification: Synthesis of Hydrophobic and Antibacterial Brushes from the Wood Surface

The article presents the modification of ash wood via surface initiated activators regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization mediated by elemental silver (Ag⁰ SI-ARGET ATRP) at a diminished catalyst concentration. Ash wood is functionalized with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) to yield wood grafted with PMMA-b-PDMAEMA-Br copolymers with hydrophobic and antibacterial properties. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy confirmed the covalent incorporation of functional ATRP initiation sites and polymer chains into the wood structure. The polymerization kinetics was followed by the analysis of the polymer grown in solution from the sacrificial initiator by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The polymer layer covalently attached to the wood surface was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The hydrophobic properties of hybrid materials were confirmed by water contact angle measurements. Water and sodium chloride salt aqueous solution uptake tests confirmed a significant improvement in resistance to the absorption of wood samples after modification with polymers. Antibacterial tests revealed that wood-QPDMAEMA-Br, as well as wood-PMMA-b-QPDMAEMA-Br, exhibited higher antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) in comparison with Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli). The paper presents an economic concept with ecological aspects of improving wood properties, which gives great opportunities to use the proposed approach in the production of functional hybrid materials for industry and high quality sports equipment, and in furniture production.     

碱木素的近红外光谱吸收机理的研究

通过碱木素模型物对醌、邻醌和香兰素的溶液在800～900 nm的近红外光谱波段内的吸收谱图的对比发现,对醌和邻醌在此波段产生较强的吸收,而香兰素基本上没有吸收,证明了碱木素的醌型结构在800～900 nm波段内产生特征吸收。对银杏和夹竹桃磨木木素碱处理前后的溶液在800～900 nm波段内的吸光度的差别分析,发现夹竹桃的磨木木素的吸光度的相对变化更大,这是由于夹竹桃磨木木素经碱处理后产生了更多的醌型结构。这也是在硫酸盐法蒸煮过程中在800～900 nm波段内阔叶材的蒸煮液吸光度大于针叶材的蒸煮液吸光度的主要原因。     

Characterization of tension and normally lignified wood cellulose inPopulus maximowiczii

We have investigated unlignified tension wood and normally lignified wood celluloses inPopulus maximowiczii with particular reference to the composition of two crystalline phases I/I (triclinic/ monoclinic). Four independent techniques, which enable us to detect the two phases, CP/MAS¹³C NMR, Fourier transform infrared microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, and X-ray diffraction were applied. Because of the low crystallinity of wood celluloses, particularly in the case of celluloses in the lignified cell wall, no single method was decisive enough to be able to determine the composition of the two phases as one can with highly crystalline materials. The I dominant structure (monoclinic crystal type) was, however, preferred for both tension and normal wood celluloses.     

硬脂酸/异氰酸酯摩尔比对聚丙烯/木粉复合材料性能的影响

用甲苯-2,4-二异氰酸酯（TDI）和硬脂酸（SA）复合改性木粉,在双螺杆挤出机中制备了聚丙烯（PP）基的木塑复合材料（WPC）,研究了SA/TDI摩尔比对木粉表面性能、复合材料力学性能和加工性能的影响。 结果表明,随着SA/TDI摩尔比的增大,改性木粉的表面张力逐渐减小,与PP的界面张力先减小后增大;与未改性的WPC相比,SA/TDI复合改性剂对WPC的拉伸强度、弯曲强度、缺口冲击强度影响不明显,但对无缺口冲击强度提升较大;当SA/TDI摩尔比为1.07时,复合材料的无缺口冲击强度和熔体质量流动速率分别达到9.74 kJ/m2和13.12 g/10 min,分别比未改性WPC提高了77%和22%。     

竹木质素的红外光谱与X射线光电子能谱分析

应用傅里叶转换红外光谱(FTIR)和X射线光电子能谱(XPS), 研究了3种提纯方法得到的竹木质素及其化学反应产物的化学结构特性. 确定竹木质素C_1s的电子结合能分别为283.52 (C—H或C—C), 284.58～285.72 (C—OR或C—OH), 286.10～286.44 (C＝O或HO—C—OR), 287.65～287.72 (O—C＝O) eV. O_1s的电子结合能分别为530.31(羟基氧原子), 531.45～531.72(醛或酮的羰基氧原子), 532.73～533.74(酯键或羧酸中的羰基氧原子) eV. 竹木质素中的结构单元之间主要是通过醚键和碳碳单键连接, 慈竹磨木木质素结构单元中醚键、碳碳单键、酯键、羰基和烯双键的比例为100∶63∶32∶40∶32 (49.3∶31.0∶16.0∶19.9∶16.0)     

A note on medieval microfabrication: the visualization of a prayer nut by synchrotron‐based computer X‐ray tomography

One of the most fascinating objects in the Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) is an early 16th century prayer nut. This spherical wooden object measures 4 cm in diameter and consists of two hemispheres connected with a small hinge so that it can be opened. The interior of the nut holds wood carvings with scenes from the life of Christ. These miniature reliefs show an incredible degree of finish with carving details well beyond the millimetre scale. In the present paper it is shown how synchrotron‐based computer X‐ray tomography revealed the structure and fabrication method of the bead. The central part of the relief was cut from a single piece of wood, rather than assembled from multiple components, underlining the extraordinary manual dexterity of its maker. In addition, a piece of fibrous material contained in the inner structure of the bead is revealed. This may have served as a carrier for an odorous compound, which would be in line with the religious function of the prayer nut.     

The flexural and tribological properties of UHMWPE composite filled with plasma surface‐treated wood fibers

In this paper, the wear performance of an ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene composites filled with wood fiber were studied using a pin‐on‐disc method. The effects of surface treatment of wood fiber and sliding load and on the friction and wear of the wood fiber/UHMWPE composite are reported. The test results showed that the sliding load is an important controlling factor; its effect is diminished when the wood fiber is modified.     

Effect of different chemical treatments on the pyrolysis products of Quercus petraea L. heartwood

Analytical pyrolysis was applied to oak wood to provide useful information concerning the structure of oak wood components and the effect of different treatments on the chemical structure of wood components. We have studied the influence of DMSO, H₂O₂, H₂O, acetic acid, and enzymatic treatments focusing on the qualitative and quantitative aspects. We studied the evolution of syringyl (S) and guaiacyl (G) compounds (main thermal degradation products of lignins) and the evolution of mallard reaction products, and main thermal degradation products of cellulose and hemicellulose.