title: Unravelling the distinct crystallinity and thermal properties of suberin compounds from Quercus suber and Betula pendula outer barks.
abstract: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of suberin (a naturally occurring aromatic-aliphatic polyester ubiquitous to the vegetable realm) as a renewable source of chemicals and, in particular, to assess their physical properties. A comparison between cork and birch suberin fragments obtained by conventional depolymerisation processes (hydrolysis or methanolysis) is provided, focusing essentially on their thermal and crystallinity properties. It was found that suberin fragments obtained by the hydrolysis depolymerisation of birch had a high degree of crystallinity, as indicated by their thermal analysis and corroborated by the corresponding XRD diffractions, as opposed to hydrolysis-depolymerised cork suberin counterparts, which were essentially amorphous.
authors.affiliation: CICECO and Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; CEMUC, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Coimbra, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal. Electronic address: andreiafs@ua.pt.
authors.forename: Andreia F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: São Carlos Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, Avenida Trabalhador São-Carlense 400, 13566-590, São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gandini
authors.affiliation: CICECO and Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caetano
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, P-3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Teresa M R
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Maria
authors.affiliation: CICECO and Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carmen S R
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Freire
authors.affiliation: CICECO and Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carlos Pascoal
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.affiliation: CICECO and Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Armando J D
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Silvestre
mesh_terms: D029662:Betula / Q000737:chemistry*; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D024301:Plant Bark / Q000737:chemistry*; D029963:Quercus / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; C065875:suberin
keywords: Betula pendula Roth; Crystallinity; Lipophilic compounds; Quercus suber L; Suberin