NaOH/Urea aqueous solution facilitates spectroscopic quantitation of lignin in corn stalk

A facile spectrometric determination of lignin in corn straw was constructed through dissolving the lignin-carbohydrate complex in aqueous solution at room temperature, where NaOH/urea was induced to prepare a transparent aqueous solution of carbohydrate-linked lignin for quantification at 298 nm without any interference from the carbohydrate.