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GC-MS Analysis of Alkaline Cellulose Degradation Products


EMSL Project ID
43490

Abstract

Degradation of cellulose and other polysaccharides in alkaline conditions and at elevated temperatures yields mixtures of compounds containing carboxylic acid and/or alcohol functional groups. These compounds may be important in the complexation and transport of metals in the environment. Chromatographic separation followed by mass spectrometry (GC-MS or LC-MS) may be useful for identification of alkaline cellulose degradation products such as alcohols and carboxylic acids. We wish to use EMSL GC-MS and LC-MS capabilities for identification of components in a series of alkaline cellulose degradation samples. These results will complement NMR and ion chromatography studies of these samples that are currently underway.

Project Details

Project type
Exploratory Research
Start Date
2011-04-05
End Date
2012-04-08
Status
Closed

Team

Principal Investigator

John Cort
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Team Members

Young-Mo Kim
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Thomas Metz
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Dawn Wellman
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory