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Exploring the potential of high resolution mass spectrometry for the investigation of lignin-derived phenol substitutes in phenolic resin syntheses

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Abstract

Chemical degradation is an efficient method to obtain bio-oils and other compounds from lignin. Lignin bio-oils are potential substitutes for the phenol component of phenol formaldehyde (PF) resins. Here, we developed an analytical method based on high resolution mass spectrometry that provided structural information for the synthesized lignin-derived resins and supported the prediction of their properties. Different model resins based on typical lignin degradation products were analyzed by electrospray ionization in negative ionization mode. Utilizing enhanced mass defect filter techniques provided detailed structural information of the lignin-based model resins and readily complemented the analytical data from differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. Relative reactivity and chemical diversity of the phenol substitutes were significant determinants of the outcome of the PF resin synthesis and thus controlled the areas of application of the resulting polymers.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach-Stiftung, the German Research Foundation (DFG VO 1355/4-1 and FTICR-MS Facility, DFG INST 256/356-1) and “Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur” for financial support. The authors thank Allnex S.à.r.l. (Luxembourg) for the GPC experiments.

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The manuscript was written through contributions of all authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Saarland University, Campus B2 2, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany

    Tobias K. F. Dier & Dietrich A. Volmer

  2. Wood Biology and Wood Products, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Büsgenweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Marco Fleckenstein & Holger Militz

Authors
  1. Tobias K. F. Dier
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  2. Marco Fleckenstein
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  3. Holger Militz
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  4. Dietrich A. Volmer
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Correspondence to Dietrich A. Volmer.

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Tobias K. F. Dier and Marco Fleckenstein contributed equally to this work.

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Dier, T.K.F., Fleckenstein, M., Militz, H. et al. Exploring the potential of high resolution mass spectrometry for the investigation of lignin-derived phenol substitutes in phenolic resin syntheses. Anal Bioanal Chem 409, 3441–3451 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-017-0282-1

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