Solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance study of the similarities between milled wood lignin and cellulolytic enzyme lignin

The structures of milled wood lignin (MWL) and cellulolytic enzyme lignin (CEL) have been analyzed using traditional chemical methods and solution-state NMR techniques. Comparisons of the results obtained reveal that subtle differences exist between the two lignin preparations. Thioacidolysis produced higher monomer yields from CEL than MWL, suggesting MWL has a more condensed structure. Quantitative C-13 NMR determined the degree of condensation in MWL to be 0.43 unit per aromatic moiety as compared to 0.36 in CEL. The MWL also contained a lower amount of beta-O-4' substructures per aromatic ring than CEL, 0.41 versus 0.47, respectively. Carbohydrate analysis revealed that the MWL may contain a higher proportion of middle lamella material as compared to the CEL. Because the middle lamella is considered to have a more condensed lignin structure, on the basis of the bulk polymerization theory, these results could explain the differences in beta-O-4' and degree of condensation.