Structural comparison of different isolated eucalyptus lignins and analysis of their interaction mechanism with bovine serum albumin solution under QCM-D

Abstract In this study, representative lignin samples differing in hydroxyl content, molecular weight, linkage composition and lignin units ratio were prepared from eucalyptus wood by different isolation means and modification means: milled wood lignin (MWL), kraft lignin classified at different pH (KL), lignocresol (LC), lignoresorcinol (LR), lignopyrogallol (LP) as well as lignocresol secondary functional switched samples (LC 2ndderiv). The structure of various lignins was characterized in detail by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In order to eliminate the interference of other factors, bovine serum albumin (BSA) with relatively simple protein structure and different kinds of lignin and their derivatives were selected as the research objects. The adsorption/desorption behavior and mechanism between lignin samples and BSA were studied by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). The results showed that the content of phenolic hydroxyl was the main factor affecting the interaction of lignin and BSA, but in addition, the molecular size, linkages composition and the types of lignin units also had important effects on its adsorption behavior. The research will provide theoretical guidance and all-round reliable basic data for the interaction of lignin on lignocellulose hydrolysis enzymes in industrial application.