[A rapid method based on advanced polymer chromatography for analyzing the products of the acid-catalyzed depolymerization of lignosulfonate].

In this study, a fast and efficient method for the separation and analysis of the products in the acid-catalyzed depolymerization of commercially available sodium lignosulfonate has been developed. The depolymerized lignosulfonate products were well separated and characterized by advanced polymer chromatography (APC) employing four ACQUITY APC XT columns in series and a ultraviolet detector. The developed method enabled the detection of relative-low-molecular-mass lignin degradation products with peak molecular weights () of 720, 490, and 260 Da, and an extremely low polydispersity index (PDI) of 1, indicating almost complete conversion of lignosulfonate to smaller molecules.

Rapid determination of lignosulfonate depolymerization products by advanced polymer chromatography.

Depolymerized lignin products are very complex mixtures. Based on a depolymerization solution of commercially available sodium lignosulfonate under mild conditions, a fast and efficient method for the separation and direct characterization of the degree and efficiency of the acid-catalyzed depolymerization of lignin was developed in this study. Using an ultraviolet detector, the depolymerized lignosulfonate products were well separated and characterized according to the relative molar mass distribution on an advanced polymer chromatographic system with three ethylene-bridged hybrid columns having small pore sizes (45 Å) in series and tetrahydrofuran as the mobile phase.