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

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. Figures 1–3 Portuguese old books made from cotton/linen rag paper.