Skeletal Vibrations Research Articles

Vibrational heat capacity of collagen and collagen\u2013water

The vibrational heat capacities of bovine collagen in the solid state, below any phase transitions (helix-coil, melting, glass transition, denaturation) in the presence and absence of water, are calculated and compared with experimental data, collected from the literature. The vibrational heat capacities of dry collagen are estimated as a sum of products of the vibrational heat capacity of the individual poly(amino acid) residues and the total number of each kind of sequence of amino acids in the macromolecule of collagen. For the individual poly(amino acid), the vibrational heat capacity is taken from Advanced Thermal Analysis System Data Bank, which was a preliminary estimation using the experimental low-temperature heat capacities data, linked to their vibrational spectra based on the group and skeletal vibration contributions of the poly(amino acid). The difference between the experimental and calculated Cp of the dry collagen is smaller than ± 3%. The vibrational heat capacity of the solid collagen–water system, below any phase transitions, is estimated from a sum of linear combinations of the mass fractions of the vibrational heat capacities of dry collagen and water. The vibrational calculated Cp can be used as a reference baseline for quantitative thermal analysis of experimental Cp in any phase transition obtained by scanning calorimetry for the collagen and collagen–water systems.

Extraction and Characterization of Oil from Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) Seed

This work focuses on the extraction of oil from date palm seed. Using n-hexane in Soxlet extraction apparatus, standard procedures were followed to determine the oil feed stock yield. Proximate compositions and physicochemical characteristics were carried out. Also, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to determine the functional groups and the fatty acid composition of the oil respectively. The result shows that the appearance of date palm seed oil is reddish brown in colour. Result from the FTIR analysis also shows that 17 peaks were noticed from date palm seed oil, indicating the presence of various functional groups such as OH, C-H, C=C, C=O, C The dominating types and number of functional groups are found on the single bond stretch and on the fingerprint region skeletal vibration. Similarly, the GC-MS result also reveals that there are 5 dominating fatty acid compounds present in date palm seed oil in relation to their abundant relative weight composition. In date seed oil, oleic acid which comprise of omega-9 fatty acid is found to be the only monounsaturated fatty acid with the highest weight composition of 49.4%. The inference that can be drawn from the results in this work in relation to application suggest that, date palm seed oil will be suitable for soap production and cleansing agents. Also, omega-9 fatty acid has some health benefits that can strengthen the brain as well as the heart. Furthermore, research on the life shelf and storage of this oil should be looked into, as it relates to the peroxidation of oil.

Identification of vibrational modes in thymine bases by broadband far-infrared absorption spectroscopy

Far-infrared and THz absorption spectra were obtained for thymine bases. Quantum chemical calculations were also conducted to simulate the far-infrared spectrum using density functional theory. Three models were used for the simulations. In one model, a thymine monomer was assumed. The second model assumed a thymine dimer, where two pyrimidine rings were aligned antiparallel. The last model assumed a thymine trimer, in which four hydrogen bonds were formed in three pyrimidine rings placed on the same plane. By comparing the measurements and simulations, almost all the absorption peaks appearing from 100 to 600 cm−1 could be assigned to torsional or skeletal vibrations of a pyrimidine ring. On the other hand, absorption peaks appearing in the THz range from 16.7 to 167 cm−1 were assigned to intermolecular vibrations.

Preparation of polyvinylpyrrolidone modified nanomagnetite for degradation of nicotine by heterogeneous Fenton process

Nanomagnetite (Ng), polyvinylpyrrolidone modified nanomagnetite (NgM), and polyvinylpyrrolidone/nanomagnetite composite (NgC) were prepared in presence of nitrogen gas. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that NgC contains higher polyvinylpyrrolidone/nanomagnetite (PVP/Ng) ratio. Assessments of nitrogen adsorption, SEM, TEM, and EDX data indicate that specific surface area of investigated materials is in order Ng ≈ ≈ NgM > NgC, materials form nano spheres with particle size around 9.0 nm according to TEM and Debye–Scherrer diffraction formula and content of magnetite in the prepared catalysts were 98.04, 76.88, and 56.95% in case of Ng, NgM and NgC, respectively. XRD confirms the cubic structure of nanocatalysts. FTIR spectra confirm the presence of stretching vibration of Fe-O bonds and magnetite fingerprint of skeletal vibrations. Degradation of nicotine by Fenton process catalyzed by nanomagnetite-based heterogeneous catalysts was studied under different conditions. Optimal reaction conditions for nicotine decomposition were found to be: equilibrium degradation time = 100 min, nanocatalyst dosage = 2.5 g L−1, pH = 2.5, hydrogen peroxide concentration = 14 mmol L−1, initial nicotine concentration = 100 mg L−1 and degradation temperature = 35 °C. Kinetic studies showed that the Fenton degradation of nicotine in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone modified nanomagnetite catalysts follows the pseudo-first order kinetic model. Catalyst reusability proved that NgM is efficient, reusable nanocatalyst materials for degradation of nicotine by Fenton process compared with the other two catalysts.

Tailored nanocellulose structure depending on the origin. Example of apple parenchyma and carrot root celluloses

Cellulose is the major polysaccharide of cell walls in every plant, making it one of the most abundant natural polymers on Earth. However, despite many decades of investigations, the supramolecular structure of cellulose and especially its variation in the cell walls of different plants have still not been fully revealed. In the present study, cellulose from the parenchymatic tissue of apple fruits and carrot roots was isolated, and nanocellulose was further prepared by high-intensity ultrasonication. AFM revealed that the obtained nanocellulose differed in dimension between the two plant species. Compared with carrot cellulose, whose nanocellulose was obtained in the form of whiskers, apple cellulose had longer and thinner nanofibrils. Both nanocellulose types also differed in terms of their crystalline structure. XRD data indicated that, compared with the apple cellulose, the carrot cellulose had a higher degree of crystallinity and larger crystallites. Moreover, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy revealed differences between the cellulose types in terms of their methine environment, hydroxymethyl conformations and skeletal vibrations. Additionally, with respect to their mechanical properties, the less crystalline apple cellulose and nanocellulose films were more elastic than the stiffer carrot cellulose and nanocellulose films. The possible reason for such differences between the two cellulose types is related to differences in plant tissue morphology and function. During development, apple fruit cell walls must withstand increasing turgor, probably higher that in the case of carrot tissue; therefore, the cellulose scaffolding must be elastic and strong. On the other hand, carrot, a root vegetable, also has to be strong enough to penetrate the soil as well as for its own growth; thus, the cell wall and cellulose scaffold have to be stiff and tough. Thus the structure of nanocellulose depends not only on the treatment but also on the cellulose source.

Preparation and Characterization of Phenolic Foam Modified with Bio-Oil.

Bio-oil was added as a substitute for phenol for the preparation of a foaming phenolic resin (PR), which aimed to reduce the brittleness and pulverization of phenolic foam (PF). The components of bio-oil, the chemical structure of bio-oil phenolic resin (BPR), and the mechanical performances, and the morphological and thermal properties of bio-oil phenolic foam (BPF) were investigated. The bio-oil contained a number of phenols and abundant substances with long-chain alkanes. The peaks of OH groups, CH2 groups, C=O groups, and aromatic skeletal vibration on the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum became wider and sharper after adding bio-oil. These suggested that the bio-oil could partially replace phenol to prepare resin and had great potential for toughening resin. When the substitute rate of bio-oil to phenol (B/P substitute rate) was between 10% and 20%, the cell sizes of BPFs were smaller and more uniform than those of PF. The compressive strength and flexural strength of BPFs with a 10–20% B/P substitute rate increased by 10.5–47.4% and 25.0–50.5% respectively, and their pulverization ratios decreased by 14.5–38.6% in comparison to PF. All BPFs maintained good flame-retardant properties, thermal stability, and thermal isolation, although the limited oxygen index (LOI) and residual masses by thermogravimetric (TG) analysis of BPFs were lower and the thermal conducticity was slightly greater than those of PF. This indicated that the bio-oil could be used as a renewable toughening agent for PF.

Structural and chemical characterization of rice and potato starch granules using microscopy and spectroscopy.

Starch is a polysaccharide that plays an important role in our diet and aids in determining the blood glucose levels and is the main source of energy to humans and plants. Starch is broken down by hydrolases which are present in our digestive system. We have used α-amylase for investigating the rate of hydrolysis of rice and potato starch granules. It is found that the hydrolysis depends on the morphology and composition of the starch granules by means of the action of α-amylase. The micro-scale structure of starch granules was observed under an optical microscope and their average sizes were in the range, 1-100 μm. The surface topological structures of starches with micro holes due to the effect of α- amylase were also visualized under scanning electron microscope (SEM). The chemical and structural composition of rice and potato starches before and after hydrolysis is characterized using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, respectively. The potato starch is more resistant to α-amylase than rice starch. The XRD spectra of native and hydrolyzed starch granules remain same which suggests that the degradation occurs mostly in amorphous regions but not in crystalline. Compactly bound water in starch was attributed to the sharp band at 1,458 cm-1 in FTIR spectra. Bands at 920-980 cm-1 associated to α-(1-4) glycosidic linkage (C-O-C) and skeletal mode vibrations in both potato and rice starches.

Layer-by-layer self-assembled films of silk fibroin/collagen/poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) as nucleating surface for osseointegration to design coated dental implant materials

A coated material with a nucleating surface for osseointegration is an attractive choice for dental implant materials. Layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly film coating was used to fabricate a nucleating surface for osseointegration to design coated dental implant materials. Silk fibroin (SF), collagen (Col), and poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) were selected as the base materials for the films. LbL self-assembly films of PDDA-SF-PDDA-Col were constructed with different n layers: n = 0 (control), 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. Quartz crystal microbalance, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and wettability testing were used to analyze the multilayer formation, topography, morphology, and surface characteristics of the films, respectively. Molecular organization of the films was characterized by Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy. The biological performance was evaluated with osteoblast cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and total protein absorption. The multilayer showed a linear function of thickness and the number of layers. The multilayer films demonstrated mobility of amide I, II, III, and molecular skeletal vibration. The films had rough surfaces, hydrophilicity, biological performance to enhance cell proliferation, ALP activity, and total protein absorption. The results indicated the films were promising as a nucleating surface for osseointegration in the design of coated dental implant materials.

Analyzing μ-Calpain induced proteolysis in a myofibril model system with vibrational and fluorescence spectroscopy

Degree of post-mortem proteolysis influences overall meat quality (e.g. tenderness and water holding capacity). Degradation of isolated pork myofibril proteins by μ-Calpain for 0, 15 or 45 min was analyzed using four spectroscopic techniques; Raman, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), near infrared (NIR) and fluorescence spectroscopy. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to determine degree of proteolysis. The main changes detected by FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy were degradation of protein backbones manifested in the spectra as an increase in terminal carboxylic acid vibrations, a decrease in CN vibration, as well as an increase in skeletal vibrations. A reduction in β-sheet secondary structures was also detected, while α-helix secondary structure seemed to stay relatively unchanged. NIR and fluorescence were not suited to analyze degree of proteolysis in this model system.

Analysis of lecithin treatment effects on the structural transformation of wool fiber using vibrational spectroscopy

The keratin macromolecule in wool fiber may be found in α-helix or β-sheet conformations besides a disordered portion. The physical and chemical treatments may cause transformations between α-helix and β-sheet conformations. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of lecithin treatment on the wool fiber using the micro-Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Characteristic bands found in the FTIR spectra of wool fibers including the amide A, amide B and amide I–III, which are assigned to the peptide bonds of wool keratin and arise from the amide bonds that link the amino acids. The lecithin treatment didn’t affect the peak position of amide bands and only slightly influenced their intensity. It means that the lecithin treatment didn’t change the chemical structure of wool fibers. The amide I and III regions, CC skeletal vibration region, and SS bonds vibration regions were analyzed with the Raman microscope. The results indicated the peak area of α-conformation increased gradually by lecithin treatment of the wool fiber, while the peak area of β-conformation decreased. Therefore, it seems that lecithin treatment of the wool fiber resulted in transformation of β-sheet to α-helix.

Study of Perfluoroalkyl Chain-Specific Band Shift in Infrared Spectra on the Chain Length.

The CF2 symmetric stretching vibration (νs(CF2)) band of a perfluoroalkyl (Rf) group in an infrared (IR) spectrum exhibits a unique character, that is, an apparent high wavenumber shift with increasing the chain length, which is an opposite character to that of the CH stretching vibration band of a normal alkyl chain. To reveal the mechanism of the unusual IR band shift, two vibrational characters of an Rf chain are focused: (1) a helical conformation of an Rf chain, (2) the carbon (C) atoms having a smaller mass than the fluorine (F) atom dominantly vibrate as a coupled oscillator leaving F atoms stay relatively unmoved. These indicate that a "coupled oscillation of the skeletal C atoms" of an Rf chain should be investigated considering the helical structure. In the present study, therefore, the coupled oscillation of the Rf chain dependent on the chain length is investigated by Raman spectroscopy, which is suitable for investigating a skeletal vibration. The Raman-active νs(CF2) band is found to be split into two bands, the splitting is readily explained by considering the helical structure and length with respect to group theory, and the unusual peak shift is concluded to be explained by the helical length.

Studies on the Deterioration of the Cordon of the Most Illustrious Order of Chulachomklao

The Cordon of the Most Illustrious Order of Chulachomklao was one of the insignia that King Rama the fifth gave to the ladies of the court to present their goodness. One component of this object was made from silk and decorated by needled the silvered and golden thread as the laurel and the initial of King’s royal name. This ancient silk suffers from discoloration, low strength and severe deterioration. Amino acids in fibroin were photo-degraded under UV-irradiation and heat. Three silk samples, S-Raw, S-White and S-Ancient, were selected for ATR-FTIR and XRD analyses. FTIR spectroscopy can be used for the determination of the molecular structure of silk fibroin. The characteristic bands of silk fibroin corresponding to amide I, II, and III were found in all silk samples. The skeletal vibrations were also observed. Two degradation estimators, EAmideI/II and EcC=O2 were calculated and used to qualitatively estimate the degree of degradation due to oxidation and crystallinity of silk fibroin respectively. The results showed the higher degree of degradation and lower crystallinity of A-Ancient. The X-ray diffraction of S-Ancient showed the broader and weaker characteristic peaks at 2 theta of ∼ 20o indicating the lower crystallinity.

Vibrational Analysis of Semicrystalline Polyethylene Using Molecular Dynamics Simulation

The vibrational spectra of semicrystalline polyethylene and its distinct domains were investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. A method for the vibrational analysis of the domains within the lamellar stack model of semicrystalline polymers has been developed and demonstrated on semicrystalline polyethylene using force fields having either united atom (UA) or explicit atom (EA) detail. In the UA description, the calculated vibrational spectra were found to differ from the observed skeletal vibrations of polyethylene with the force field used in this work. Therefore, a modified UA force field with different stretching and bending force constants is proposed, which was found to reproduce the observed frequencies of the skeletal vibrations. In the EA description, the vibrational spectra of semicrystalline polyethylene were in satisfactory agreement with typical infrared and Raman signatures of polyethylene melts and crystals. Experimental interpretations regarding the assignment of peaks in the Raman spectra to components of semicrystalline polyethylene were examined. The spectrum of the interphase domain obtained using the EA model was found to be adequately reproduced by a superposition of the spectra of the crystalline and amorphous domains, at variance with experimental observation. The lack of a distinct interphase spectrum in the EA model was attributed to the absence of the CH2 bending peak associated with the orthorhombic phase, despite confirming an orthorhombic crystal structure in the crystalline domain.

Search for Hydrogenated C60 (Fulleranes) in Circumstellar Envelopes

Abstract The recent detection of fullerene (C60) in space and the positive assignment of five diffuse interstellar bands to reinforce the notion that fullerene-related compounds can be efficiently formed in circumstellar envelopes and be present in significant quantities in the interstellar medium. Experimental studies have shown that C60 can be readily hydrogenated, raising the possibility that hydrogenated fullerenes (or fulleranes, C60H m , m = 1–60) may be abundant in space. In this paper, we present theoretical studies of the vibrational modes of isomers of C60H m . Our results show that the four mid-infrared bands from the C60 skeletal vibrations remain prominent in slightly hydrogenated C60, but their strengths diminish in different degrees with increasing hydrogenation. It is therefore possible that the observed infrared bands assigned to C60 could be due to a mixture of fullerenes and fulleranes. This provides a potential explanation for the observed scatter of the C60 band ratios. Our calculations suggest that a feature around 15 μm due to the breathing mode of heavily hydrogenated C60 may be detectable astronomically. A preliminary search for this feature in 35 C60 sources is reported.

Raman antenna effect from exciton-phonon coupling in organic semiconducting nanobelts.

The highly anisotropic interactions in organic semiconductors together with the soft character of organic materials lead to strong coupling between nuclear vibrations and exciton dynamics, which potentially results in anomalous electrical, optical and optoelectrical properties. Here, we report on the Raman antenna effect from organic semiconducting nanobelts 6,13-dichloropentacene (DCP), resulting from the coupling of molecular excitons and intramolecular phonons. The highly ordered crystalline structure in DCP nanobelts enables the precise polarization-resolved spectroscopic measurement. The angle-dependent Raman spectroscopy under resonant excitation shows that all Raman modes from the skeletal vibrations of DCP molecule act like a nearly perfect dipole antenna IRaman ∝ cos4(θ - 90), with almost zero (maximum) Raman scattering parallel (perpendicular) to the nanobelt's long-axis. The Raman antenna effect in DCP nanobelt is originated from the coupling between molecular skeletal vibrations and intramolecular exciton and the confinement of intermolecular excitons. It dramatically enhances the Raman polarization ratio (ρ = I‖/I⊥ > 25) and amplifies the anisotropy of the angle-dependent Raman scattering (κRaman = Imax/Imin > 12) of DCP nanobelts. These findings have crucial implications for fundamental understanding on the exciton-phonon coupling and its effects on the optical properties of organic semiconductors.

Vibrational Spectroscopies and Chemometry for Nondestructive Identification and Differentiation of Painting Binders

A comprehensive dataset of vibrational spectra of different natural organic binding media is presented and discussed. The binding media were applied on a glass substrate and analyzed after three months of natural ageing. The combination of Raman and FT-NIR spectroscopies allows for an improved identification of these materials as Raman technique is more informative about the skeletal vibrations, while FT-NIR spectroscopy is more sensitive to the substituents and polar groups. The experimental results are initially discussed in the framework of current spectral assignment. Then, multivariate analysis (PCA) is applied leading to differentiation among the samples. The two major principal components allow for a complete separation of the different classes of organic materials. Further differentiation within the same class is possible thanks to the secondary components. The loadings obtained from PCA are discussed on the basis of the spectral assignment leading to clear understanding of the physical basis of this differentiation process.

A structural study on the excimer state of an isolated benzene dimer using infrared spectroscopy in the skeletal vibration region.

We applied infrared (IR) spectroscopy on electronic excited states of a benzene dimer (Bz2) isolated in a supersonic expansion to investigate the vibrational structure and geometry of the excimer (EXC) state where the electronic excitation is equally shared between the two Bz units. The IR spectrum of an EXC produced via the electronic origin of Bz2 gives a simpler spectral appearance than that in the electronic ground state, in which it has a T-shaped structure. Each band position locates nearly at the average of the corresponding vibrations in the electronic ground and excited states of the Bz monomer. This frequency averaging is explained by an excitation exchange model that takes into account vibrational excitations. From the observed frequency averaging, a highly symmetric parallel stacking structure in the EXC state is concluded with the help of a DFT calculation. This model clarifies that Franck-Condon factors between the S1-S0 transition of the monomer govern not only the magnitude of the EXC interaction, but also the configuration of vibrational states. The IR spectrum of the vibrationally excited EXC state produced by excitation to the 61 level of the stem site, on the other hand, shares the IR features both of the EXC state and the local excited (LE) state in which the excitation localizes on one of the benzene rings, making a T-shape contact. The structural interconversion equilibrium between parallel stacking (EXC) and T-shaped (LE) structures due to the vibrational excess energy has been established.

Oxidative degradation of biorefinery lignin obtained after pretreatment of forest residues of Douglas Fir

Harvested forest residues are usually considered a fire hazards and used as “hog-fuel” which results in air pollution. In this study, the biorefinery lignin stream obtained after wet explosion pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of forestry residues of Douglas Fir (FS-10) was characterized and further wet oxidized under alkaline conditions. The studies indicated that at 10% solids, 11.7wt% alkali and 15min residence time, maximum yields were obtained for glucose (12.9wt%), vanillin (0.4wt%) at 230°C; formic acid (11.6wt%) at 250°C; acetic acid (10.7wt%), hydroxybenzaldehyde (0.2wt%), syringaldehyde (0.13wt%) at 280°C; and lactic acid (12.4wt%) at 300°C. FTIR analysis of the solid residue after wet oxidation showed that the aromatic skeletal vibrations relating to lignin compounds increased with temperature indicating that higher severity could result in increased lignin oxidation products. The results obtained, as part of the study, is significant for understanding and optimizing processes for producing high-value bioproducts from forestry residues.

A strategic laccase mediated lignin degradation of lignocellulosic feedstocks for ethanol production

Lignin degradation using laccase is a cleaner, biocatalytic, and substrate specific alternative to improve holocellulose recovery from lignocellulosic feedstocks for bioethanol production. The degree of laccase mediated lignin degradation varied with the biochemical composition of the biomass. In the present article, Fourier-Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopy and simplex centroid mixture design algorithm based studies were conducted to probe the correlation between biomass composition and laccase mediated lignin degradation. FTIR peak intensity analyses of the mixtures i.e., combination 20, 21 and 31 from 57 mixed biomass sets studied suggested that G type lignin has synergistic effect on laccase mediated delignification while presence of S type lignin showed antagonistic relationship with laccase adsorption and delignification. Simplex centroid based optimization of the selected mixture (i.e., combination 31) resulted in a concoction composed of Saccharum spontaneum (0.2031), Saccharum officinarum tops (0.1968), Ricinus communis (0.6000) with maximum delignification 80.13%. Enzymatic delignification of this optimized mixture was supported by FTIR studies where peak intensity at 1514cm−1 and 1595cm−1 corresponding to the aromatic skeletal vibrations of lignin decreased in magnitude after delignification. X-Ray Diffraction study deciphered 3.66% increase in crystallinity of the delignified sample corresponding to cellulose while Scanning Electron Microscopy revealed structural distortion in the sample. Besides, reduction in the calorific value of the biomass (2.75kJ/g) further substantiated the delignification process. Lignin degradation products analyzed through gas chromatography mass spectroscopy unveiled the presence of various carboxylic acids, phenolic acids, heterocyclic aromatic compounds and N-heterocyclic compounds manifesting laccase action on lignin. The study on the effect of pretreatment on saccharification process showed that 80% delignification was sufficient for maximum reducing sugar yield (587mg/g).

English

The surface composition and surface properties of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) root biomass were studied before and after extraction with dilute nitric acid and toluene/ethanol (2/1, v/v) followed by ethanol, using Fourier Transform Infra-red (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy. FT-IR absorption bands were obtained at 3421, 2855, 1457 and 1035 cm-1 (O-H stretch, C-H vibration, C-H asymmetric deformation, and C-O stretch, respectively) and 1508, 1541 and 1559 cm-1 (all aromatic skeletal vibrations characteristic of lignin), as well as a C=O carboxylate stretch vibrational band at 1654 cm-1. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the root biomass to be amorphous and not to have a strongly structured surface. The dilute mineral acid and organic solvent treatment increased crystallinity. Thermogravimetric analysis Studies show that the treated biomass are more thermally stable than the untreated biomass. Data are presented showing that dilute mineral acid and organic solvent treatment resulted in a decrease in the amount of lignin in the biomass. The implications of the decrease in the percentage of lignin on the adsorption of volatile polar organic solvents and non-polar n-alkane hydrocarbons is discussed. Key words: Water hyacinth, biomass, surface composition, Fourier Transform Infra-red (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction spectroscopy, thermo gravimetric analysis.