Light from Decay: Chemiluminescence as a Kinetic Fingerprint of Dammar Resin Oxidation

In this study, chemiluminescence (CL) is presented as a highly sensitive, mechanistically coupled method for investigating the thermo-oxidative aging of dammar resin, a triterpenoid natural resin of central relevance to conservation science. In contrast to conventional spectroscopic techniques, CL does not primarily reflect the accumulated oxidation state; instead, it selectively detects the formation and decomposition of reactive peroxide and hydroperoxide intermediates, thereby providing an early view of the oxidative reactivity of the material. Measurements performed under inert and oxidative atmospheres provide a clear distinction between pre-existing oxidative damage and ongoing autoxidation. Correlation with Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy demonstrates that oxidized functional groups are not necessarily associated with high oxidative reactivity, underscoring the functional advantage of chemiluminescence for stability assessment. The combination of dynamic CL measurements with model-free isoconversional kinetics has been shown to reveal the pronounced dependence of effective activation energy on the extent of the reaction. This α-dependence confirms the multistep nature of dammar oxidation and highlights the limitations of classical Arrhenius models. Furthermore, chemiluminescence is an effective screening tool for evaluating stabilizers and synergistic additive combinations, providing a robust basis for kinetic modeling and evidence-based decision-making in conservation science.