Discriminating the indistinguishable sapwood from heartwood in discolored ancient wood by direct molecular mapping of specific extractives using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry

A new method that can chemically discriminate the visually indistinguishable sapwood from heartwood in discolored woods is presented in this paper. Discriminating between sapwood and heartwood, which are normally recognized by color in cross sections of stems of tress, is important in dendrochronological dating, as well as in evaluating qualities of woods such as durability. In tree-ring chronology, the felling date, which affects the construction date of architectures, can be estimated only in woods that have a recognizable sapwood/heartwood boundary. However, the felling date cannot be estimated in discolored woods because it has indistinguishable sapwood. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) analysis of specific chemical substances retained for approximately 1300 years after felling demonstrated the presence of sapwood in a discolored ancient architectural wood of Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa). Direct molecular mapping by TOF-SIMS clearly indicated that the specific substances, hinokinin, hinokiresinol, hinokione, and hinokiol, started to accumulate at the sapwood/heartwood boundary where only hinokinin was localized and retained predominantly in ray parenchyma cells. The result allowed the determination of the felling date of the discolored wood. TOF-SIMS has shown to be useful for investigating the distribution of minute amounts of chemical components in woods.