ROW: Studies on Diagenesis of Lignin

木质素是一种由一系列酚醚键连接的丙基亚基网络组成的聚合物。已知木质素的主要前体可以存活，仅在煤化过程中进行环脱甲氧基化和早期成岩作用，随后在变质过程中转化为芳香大分子。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类成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尚未得到广泛的研究。该研究项目将研究木材和未成熟煤在有或没有矿物（粘土）基质的情况下短期热蚀后的木质素降解产物。这一研究结果将对理解煤在石化和早期煤化过程中前体的化学变化有重要意义。这些数据将为木质素在沉积岩、泥炭和煤中作为古植被生物标志物和古气候指示物提供重要信息。此外，人工热解趋势可以应用于煤等真实地质样品来对比木质素酚类的成岩变化。

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.