Isolation and identification of residual chromophores from aged bleached pulp samples

Three bleached and subsequently aged cellulosic pulps have been analysed for their chromophore content according to the chromophore release and identification (CRI) method. Several chromophores have been unambiguously identified, despite their very low content (ppb range). This is the first report on defined chromophoric structures isolated from bleached pulps. It is also the first application of the CRI method to cellulose I substrates, rather than to cellulose II substrates (fibres) and cellulose derivatives as hitherto performed. A common feature of the chromophores is the 2-hydroxy-[1,4]benzoquinone moiety, which is strongly stabilized by resonance or tautomerism. The structure of the chromophores indicates that oxidised carbohydrate structures act as precursor moieties, which condense upon ageing to the chromophore structures identified.