摘要

In connection with our attempts to fractionate wood polymers in situ by carboxymethylation (CM) to yield the carboxymethyl derivative of hemicelluloses (CMHC), cellulose (CMC) and lignin (CML), we have examined the CM for a series of simple lignin model compounds and observed several interesting features. The reactivity of phenolic hydroxyl groups was shown being profoundly affected by the nature of side-chain units. Unexpectedly, the phenolic unit of homo-vanillyl alcohol and the benzyl hydroxyl group of 3,4-dimethoxy benzyl alcohol were shown being quite un-reactive under typical CM conditions used for the CMC preparation. These unexpected observations suggest that the CM of lignin would be largely limited to certain types of the phenolic and some aliphatic hydroxyl groups.