Determination of Monophenolic Compounds from Lignin Oxidative Degradation Using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography/High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

A method for the determination of monophenolic compounds derived from oxidative degradation of lignin was developed by combination of ultra performance liquid chromatography with high resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS). The efficient separation of nine monophenolic compounds was carried out on a RP C-18 column with the mobile phase of 0. 1% (V/V) formic acid aquous-10% (V/V) methnol/acetonitrile at 30 degrees C at a flow rate of 0. 2 mL/min, and the detection wavelength was 280 nm. Electrospray ionization coupled with high resolution time of flight mass spectrometry (ESI-Q-TOF) under positive ionization mode was used for the qualitative identification of monophenolic compounds degraded from lignin. The quantitative analysis was performed with external standard method based on high resolution extracted ion chromatography. The linear ranges were 5. 0-10000 mu g/L with correlation of more than 0. 9998. The LODs and LOQs were 0. 1-0. 3 mu g/L and 0. 3-0. 5 mu g/L, respectively. The average recoveries were 98. 9. 1%-105. 11% with less than relative standard deviations of 1. 7%. The method is rapid, sensitive and easy to operate.