Carbon-13 CP/MAS solid state NMR and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy studies on lime wood decayed by Chaetomium globosum

Published Date
10 January 2011, Vol.83(2):808–812, doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2010.08.049

Author 

Carmen-Mihaela Popescu ^a,,

Per Tomas Larsson ^b

Cornelia Vasile ^a

aRomanian Academy “P. Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Department of Physical Chemistry of Polymers, 41A Gr. Ghica Voda Alley, Ro.700487, Iasi, Romania

bInnventia AB, Box 5604, SE-114 86 Stockholm, Sweden

Received 6 July 2010. Revised 6 August 2010. Accepted 23 August 2010. Available online 27 August 2010. 

Abstract

The degradation of the plant cell wall by microorganisms has been studied by X-ray diffraction, and solid state CP/MAS ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. Lime wood (Tilia cordataMiller) samples were inoculated with Chaetomium globosum for various durations up to 133 days.

Structural modifications were assessed by comparing decayed lime wood samples with reference. These methods proved to be able to give insights into the modifications at a molecular level of the cell wall components by Ascomycetes fungi attack.

Significant changes in relative crystallinity and apparent lateral crystallite size, as measured by XRD, were detectable relatively early in the decay process. The content of hemicelluloses and cellulose in the wood samples decreased after biodegradation with Chaetomium globosum. The main chemical changes in wood during decay are the loss of hemicelluloses and cellulose simultaneously with lesser changes in lignin structure, which mainly consist in partial loss of methoxyl groups and Cα–Cβ bond cleavage and loss of β-O-4 linkages.

Keywords

Biodegradation

X-ray diffraction

CP/MAS ¹³C NMR spectroscopy

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