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Volatile organic compounds in paper—an approach for identification of markers in aged books

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Abstract

Volatile organic compounds emitted from historical books made from cotton/linen rag and wood pulp paper have been studied. Different profiles were obtained using different solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibres to access the compounds involved in the decomposition reactions occurring in cotton/linen rag and wood pulp paper upon natural ageing and precocious/accelerated degradation. Contact headspace solid-phase extraction coupled with gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) was improved as a non-destructive methodology for the analysis of historical books. Potential markers of cellulose degradation—linear hydrocarbons, linear aldehydes, and 2-furfural—together with potential markers of cotton/linen rag paper (isopropylic esters) were identified. Chiral analysis (SPME-c-GC-TOF-MS) showed that only the enantiomer (S)-2-ethyl-1-hexanol is present as an emanation compound in both types of paper. Validation studies for a larger number of books are being done.

Portuguese old books made from cotton/linen rag paper.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their gratitude to Prof. H. Chaves das Neves for interest, help and criticism given to this work. EG expresses a deep gratitude to her friend Eng. Luiz de Aguiar Câmara for the unconditional willingness of giving some of his valuable historical books for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CQFB-Requimte, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, FCT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal

    Elvira M. Gaspar, José C. Santana, João F. Lopes & Marcos B. Diniz

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  1. Elvira M. Gaspar
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  2. José C. Santana
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  3. João F. Lopes
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  4. Marcos B. Diniz
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Correspondence to Elvira M. Gaspar.

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Gaspar, E.M., Santana, J.C., Lopes, J.F. et al. Volatile organic compounds in paper—an approach for identification of markers in aged books. Anal Bioanal Chem 397, 369–380 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-010-3520-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-010-3520-3

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