Hydroxyl accessibility in wood by deuterium exchange and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy: methodological uncertainties

The accessibility of wood hydroxyls to water is commonly studied by infrared spectroscopy after deuteration where water-interacting hydroxyls have their H exchanged for D. In this study, the hydroxyl accessibility is determined with ATR-FTIR spectroscopy after deuteration of specimens with liquid D 2 O. Several factors are examined to reveal the uncertainties involved in the accessibility determination. Despite the fact that specimens were able to interact with water vapour after deuteration and drying, producing a freshly cut surface just before measurement limited the effect of re-exchange of hydroxyls and gave for most batches reproducible results.