Infrared spectra of 45 softwoods and hardwoods have been recorded. The wavenumber values of the carbonyl stretching vibration and one of the ring-breathing modes of lignin are used to distinguish softwoods from hardwoods. The differences between the absorption bands for the softwoods and hardwoods in each instance are shown to be statistically significant. A possible explanation of these spectral differences in terms of the chemical composition of the woods is proposed.
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Citation
Barker, Brady; Owen, Noel L. J. Chem. Educ.1999 76 1706.
Keywords
Carbohydrates; Instrumental Methods; IR Spectroscopy; Plant Chemistry; Laboratory Instruction
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