Complementary multianalytical approach to study the distinctive structural features of the main humic fractions in solution: gray humic acid, brown humic acid, and fulvic acid.

Previous studies have indicated that the main fractions of humic substances (HS), gray humic acid (GHA), brown humic acid (BHA), and fulvic acid (FA), present different molecular patterns in water solution that are probably associated with specific structural features. However, the techniques used in these previous studies did not permit clarification of the principal qualitative characteristics of these structures. To study more in depth this subject several GHA, BHA, and FA have been analyzed through the complementary use of UV-visible and FTIR spectroscopy, (13)C NMR, thermogravimetry, and pyrolysis GC-MS. The results indicate that the studied humic fractions have different and distinctive structural features. Thus, large and nonpolar structural units (paraffins, olefins, terpenes) and aliphatic structures seem to accumulate in the gray fraction, whereas the smallest and more polar (furfural, phenols) and simpler structural units (sugar- and amino acid-related structures) are present in the fulvic one. BHA has a higher content in polycyclic aromatic moieties, S-containing compounds and aromatic structures, thus suggesting the presence of more condensed aromatic rings. Likewise, differences in both the presence of polar groups and the apparent molecular size explain the pattern of solubility as a function of pH and ionic strength (I) that defines each HS fraction. These results also indicate that the structural differences among the HS fractions are not only quantitative (the presence of the same type of structures differing in size and the concentration of functional groups) but also qualitative, because each fraction presented different and distinctive structural domains. These structural domains explain the molecular patterns associated with each HS fraction. Thus, the presence of smaller and more O-functionalized structural units including aromatic domains in FA explain their tendency to form molecular aggregates (hydrogen bridges, metal bridges, and hydrophobic interactions) in solution. This fact could also explain the presence of molecular aggregates in BHA, although to a lesser extent than in FA. Finally, the dominant aliphatic and less functionalized character of GHA may justify its lower tendency to form aggregates in solution at neutral and alkaline pH. Likewise, the results also indicate that the different structural domains associated with these fractions may be the consequence of diverse biosynthetic pathways involving different precursors.