Molecular insights on the crystalline cellulose-water interfaces via three-dimensional atomic force microscopy

How cellulose nanocrystals interact with water

28 February 2023

The details of how water molecules interact with the surfaces of tiny needles of cellulose have been revealed.

The most ubiquitous organic material on Earth, cellulose is the main structural component of plants.

Nanocrystals of cellulose made by treating biomass with acid are finding use in diverse applications, including drug delivery, tissue engineering and flexible electronics. But an understanding of the molecular-level chemistry at their surfaces has been lacking.

Now, a team led by researchers from Kanazawa University in Japan has investigated the arrangement of molecular chains of cellulose in water using a powerful microscopy technique known as 3D atomic force microscopy.

The insights obtained could help better understand the relationship between the structures of nanocrystals obtained from various sources and their properties, the researchers say, and is relevant for renewable nanomaterials and chemical production.

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References

1. Science Advances 8, eabq0160 (2022). doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abq0160