Near infrared (NIR) spectra of wood and wood products contain information regarding their chemical composition and molecular structure. Both influence physical properties and performance, however, at present, this information is under-utilised in research and industry. Presently NIR spectroscopy is mainly used following the explorative approach, by which the contents of chemical components and physico-chemical as well as mechanical properties of the samples of interest are determined by applying multivariate statistical methods on the spectral data. Concrete hypotheses or prior knowledge on the chemistry and structure of the sampleexceeding that of reference data-are not necessary to build such multivariate models. However, to understand the underlying chemistry, knowledge on the chemical/functional groups that absorb at distinct wavelengths is indispensable and the assignment of NIR bands is necessary. Band assignment is an interesting and important part of spectroscopy that allows conclusions to be drawn on the chemistry and physico-chemical properties of samples. To summarise current knowledge on this topic, 70 years of NIR band assignment literature for wood and wood components were reviewed. In addition, preliminary results of ongoing investigations that also led to new assignments were included for discussion. Furthermore, some basic considerations on the interactions of NIR radiation with the inhomogeneous, anisotropic and porous structure of wood, and what impact this structure has on information contained in the spectra, are presented. In addition, the influence of common data (pre)-processing methods on the position of NIR bands is discussed. For more conclusive band assignments, it is recommended that wood is separated into its components. However, this approach may lead to misinterpretations when evaluation methods other than direct comparison of spectra are used, because isolation and purification of wood components is difficult and may lead to chemical and structural alterations when compared to the native state. Furthermore, "pure" components have more distinct and symmetric bands that influence the shape of the spectra. This extended review provides the reader with a comprehensive summary of NIR bands, as well as some practical considerations important for the application of NIR to wood.

Spruce wood that had been degraded by brown-rot fungi (Gloeophyllum trabeum or Poria placenta) exhibiting mass losses up to 16% was investigated by transmission Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) imaging microscopy. Here the first work on the application of FT-IR imaging microscopy and multivariate image analysis of fungal degraded wood is presented and the first report on the spatial distribution of polysaccharide degradation during incipient brown-rot of wood. Brown-rot starts to become significant in the outer cell wall regions (middle lamellae, primary cell walls, and the outer layer of the secondary cell wall S1). This pattern was detected even in a sample with non-detectable mass loss. Most significant during incipient decay was the cleavage of glycosidic bonds, i.e. depolymerisation of wood polysaccharides and the degradation of pectic substances. Accordingly, intramolecular hydrogen bonding within cellulose was reduced, while the presence of phenolic groups increased.

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Brown-rot fungi are aggressive colonisers of wood. these decay fungi have developed molecular mechanisms that enable them to degrade and mineralise the wood polysaccharides very efficiently. 1 lignin is not degraded but is extensively modified. 2 Brown-rot degraded lignin is highly depleted in methoxyls and arylglycerol-b-ether structures and has a higher content of free phenolic groups. 2,3 early in the decay, mechanical wood properties are highly affected. this is mainly due to the depolymerisation of wood polysaccharides. 4 recently, we were able to show that early decay processes can be traced with mid infrared spectroscopy by their differences in hydrogen (H)-bonding within and between the wood polymers. 5 these differences were reflected in the o-H stretching vibration region of the mid infrared spectra. the first overtones (ots) of these vibrations are better separated in the near infrared (nIr) region than in the mid infrared (mid-Ir) region. therefore, wood decay processes affecting these cellulose bands and bands of other polysaccharides are expected to become more significant when investigated by means of fourier transform (ft)-nIr spectroscopy. furthermore, ft-nIr allows for the measurements of relatively thick wood sections with intact morphology. 6-9 despite

Spruce wood that had been degraded by white-rot fungi (Trametes versicolor or Ceriporiopsis subvermispora) and suffered mass losses up to 17% was investigated by transmission Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) imaging microscopy. A significant marker during incipient simultaneous white-rot (T. versicolor) was the cleavage of glycosidic bonds of polysaccharides that preceded their metabolisation. Simultaneous white-rot processes were also characterised by a relative decrease of the overall lignin content and a relative accumulation of wood polysaccharides. No early marker was found for selective white-rot (C. subvermispora) that removes mainly lignin by an oxidative process. This feature was detected only in wood samples exhibiting mass losses higher than 12%. Furthermore, it was shown, that simultaneous and selective white-rot processes were unevenly distributed within the wood samples but quite evenly distributed within single tracheids.