Daniela Djikanović, Jelena Jovanović, Aleksandar Kalauzi, Jelena Dragišić Maksimović, Ksenija Radotić
Biopolymers 2025 JanSilicon (Si) is a highly abundant mineral in Earth's crust. It plays a vital role in plant growth, providing mechanical support, enhancing grain yield, facilitating mineral nutrition, and aiding stress response mechanisms. The intricate relationship between silicification and lignin chemistry significantly impacts cell wall structure. Yet, the precise influence of Si on lignin synthesis remains elusive. This study investigated the interaction between Si and lignin model compounds during in vitro synthesis. Employing spectroscopic and microscopic analyses, we delineated how Si concentrations modulate lignin polymerization dynamics, particularly affecting molecular conformation and aggregation behavior over time. Fluctuations in the polymer structure are directly related to both the synthesis time and the concentration of silica. Our results demonstrate that lower Si concentrations promote the aggregation of lignin oligomers into larger particles, while higher concentrations increase the possibility of oligomer repulsion, thus preventing particle growth. These findings elucidate the intricate interplay between Si and lignin, which is crucial for understanding plant cell wall structure and stress resilience. Moreover, the results provide insights for developing lignin-silica materials with increasing applications in industry and medicine. © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Daniela Djikanović, Jelena Jovanović, Aleksandar Kalauzi, Jelena Dragišić Maksimović, Ksenija Radotić. Effects of Silicon Concentration and Synthesis Duration on Lignin Structure: A Spectroscopic and Microscopic Study. Biopolymers. 2025 Jan;116(1):e23640
PMID: 39614829
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