Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 51, 12005–12008 (2012)
Various analytical methods have been used to try and characterize lignocellulosic biomass, and it has been found to comprise densely packed cellulose within a lignin–hemicellulose matrix. But techniques used so far typically give bulk information that doesn't portray accurately the heterogeneous nature of biomass. Using a time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) imaging method, a team of researchers led by Arthur Ragauskas at the Georgia Institute of Technology has now studied the three-dimensional distribution of cellulose and lignin in a 'tension wood' sample. This type of wood, which comes from the elongated side of a bent stem, has a characteristic cell structure that features a cellulose-rich gelatinous layer as well as a lignin-derived secondary cell wall. In TOF-SIMS, a primary ion beam is moved across a surface to dislodge target species and generate secondary ions that are characterized by mass spectrometry. Because this technique reveals the position on the surface from which a particular ion is formed, the distribution of a target species can be mapped.
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