ROW: Studies on Diagenesis of Lignin

木质素是一种聚合物，由一系列酚醚键连接的丙基苯亚基网络组成。众所周知，木质素的主要前体可以存活下来，只需环去甲氧基，在煤化过程中早期成岩，在后生过程中转化为芳香族大分子。木质素作为古植被标志物的应用取决于木质素聚合物的酚组分中存在的甲氧基的数量。然而，木质素在成岩阶段的逐步降解或去甲氧基化还没有得到广泛的研究。该研究项目将研究木材和未成熟煤在含有和不含有矿物(粘土)基质的短期热蚀变后的木质素降解产物。这项研究的结果将有助于理解煤的前驱物质在泥炭化和早期煤化过程中所经历的化学变化。这些数据应该提供关于在沉积岩、泥炭和煤中使用木质素作为古植被生物标记物和古气候指示器的重要信息。此外，人工热解趋势可以应用于煤等实际地质样品，关联木质素酚的成岩变化。

Lignin is a polymer comprised of a network of propylphenyl subunits linked by a series of phenolic ether bonds. It is known that the major precursor of lignin can survive, with only ring demethoxylation, early diagenesis during coalification and that subsequent transformation into aromatic macromolecule occurs during catagenesis. The application of lignin as a paleo- vegetation marker depends on the number of methoxyl groups present in the phenolic component of the lignin polymer. However, the stepwise degradation or demethoxylation of lignin in the diagenetic stage has not been extensively investigated. The research project will examine the lignin degradation products after short-term thermal alteration of wood and immature coals with and without mineral (clay) matrices. The results from this study should contribute significantly to the understanding of the chemical changes undergone by the precursors of coal during peatification and early coalification. The data should provide important information on the use of lignin as a paleo- vegetation biomarker and paleoclimatic indicator in sedimentary rocks, peats and coals. Further, the artificial pyrolysis trends could be applicable to real geological samples such as coals in correlating the diagenetic changes of lignin phenols.