[XPS analysis of tea plant leaf and root surface]

XPS was applied to analyze the surface chemical composition and structure of the tea plant leaf and root. It was detected that the surface is made up of mainly 4 elements: C, O, N and Al, with little P and F in abaxial leaf. Based on the botanic epidermis structure and the chemical composition, with the help of the standard spectrum data bank on line and the wood XPS study results, and through line Gaussian and Lorentizian the mixed, the binding energy of C(1s) of the leaf surface was classified as 3 types: the first was C1, with the electron binding energy of 285 eV, from C-C or C-H group, representing lipid compound like cutin and wax. C2 with the binding energy of 286.35 eV in the adaxial and 286.61 eV in the abaxial, came from the single bond of carbon and oxygen C-O, mainly standing for cellulose. C3 with the binding energy of approximately 288 eV (288.04 eV in adaxial and 288.09 eV in abaxial) was the sign of C=O group, which is acyl in protein with the confirmation of N(1s) (399-401 eV)and O(1s) analyses. In the root surface, besides the same compounds of cutin and wax (C1, binding energy 285 eV), cellulose (C2, binding energy 286.49 eV) and protein (C3, binding energy 288.78 eV)as in the leaf, there appeared C5 type with the binding energy of 283.32 eV. Because it was lower than C1, it was estimated as carbon linking to metal. Both the leaf and the root surfaces didn't have C4, a type of O-C=O, which is common in wood surface with the highest oxidated carbon of 289-289.5 eV binding energy, indicating that organic acid secreted by the root existed freely on the root surface, without any chemical association with the surface compounds. The results of the separated spectrum of O(1s) supported the above C(1s) results. By the ratio of each type of C, there were more oxygen groups in the abaxial than in the adaxial, implicating more active chemical properties on the abaxial. Compared with the leaf, cutin and wax was little in the root and oxygen groups were many, verifying more active chemical property on the root surface and more water and solute molecules passing. Again the protein content was in the order of root, abaxial and adaxial, indicating the same order of the wetness degree. Higher binding energy of Al than 73. 50 eV showed oxidized aluminum in tea plant surface, which might enhance the absorption, and more oxidized aluminum in the root meants that it has more powerful absorbability.