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Kumari P, Ballone P, Paniagua C, Abou-Saleh RH, Benitez-Alfonso Y. Cellulose-Callose Hydrogels: Computational Exploration of Their Nanostructure and Mechanical Properties. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:1989-2006. [PMID: 38410888 PMCID: PMC10934845 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Polysaccharides play a crucial role in virtually all living systems. They also represent the biocompatible and fully sustainable component of a variety of nanoparticles, which are of increasing interest in biomedicine, food processing, cosmetics, and structural reinforcement of polymeric materials. The computational modeling of complex polysaccharide phases will assist in understanding the properties and behavior of all these systems. In this paper, structural, bonding, and mechanical properties of 10 wt % cellulose-callose hydrogels (β-glucans coexisting in plant cell walls) were investigated by atomistic simulations. Systems of this kind have recently been introduced in experiments revealing unexpected interactions between the polysaccharides. Starting from initial configurations inspired by X-ray diffraction data, atomistic models made of ∼1.6 × 106 atoms provide a qualitatively consistent view of these hydrogels, displaying stability, homogeneity, connectivity, and elastic properties beyond those of a liquid suspension. The simulation shows that the relatively homogeneous distribution of saccharide nanofibers and chains in water is not due to the solubility of cellulose and callose, but to the formation of a number of cross-links among the various sample components. The broad distribution of strength and elasticity among the links implies a degree of anharmonicity and irreversible deformation already evident at low external load. Besides the qualitative agreement with experimental observations, the simulation results display also quantitative disagreements in the estimation of elastic coefficients, such as the Young's modulus, that require further investigation. Complementary simulations of dense cellulose-callose mixtures (no hydrogels) highlight the role of callose in smoothing the contact surface of different nanofibers forming larger bundles. Cellulose-callose structures in these systems displayed an enhanced water uptake and delayed dye release when compared to cellulose alone, highlighting potential new applications as drug delivery scaffolds. The simulation trajectories provide a tuning and testing ground for the development of coarse-grained models that are required for the large scale investigation of mechanical properties of cellulose and callose mixtures in a watery environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallavi Kumari
- The
Astbury Centre and the Centre for Plant Science, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
- School
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Pietro Ballone
- School
of Physics, University College Dublin, Dublin 4 D04 C1P1, Ireland
- Conway
Institute for Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin
4 D04 C1P1, Ireland
| | - Candelas Paniagua
- The
Astbury Centre and the Centre for Plant Science, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
- Instituto
de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea (IHSM-UMA-CSIC).
Dpto. Botánica y Fisiología Vegetal, Universidad de Málaga, 29071, Málaga, Spain
| | - Radwa H. Abou-Saleh
- School
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
- Department
of Physics, Faculty of Science, Galala University, Galala Plateau, Attaka, Suez 43511, Egypt
- Department
of Physics, Faculty of Science, Mansoura
University, El Gomhouria
St, El Mansoura 1, Dakahlia Governorate 35516, Egypt
| | - Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso
- The
Astbury Centre and the Centre for Plant Science, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
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2
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Tai HC, Chang CH, Cai W, Lin JH, Huang SJ, Lin QY, Yuan ECY, Li SL, Lin YCJ, Chan JCC, Tsao CS. Wood cellulose microfibrils have a 24-chain core-shell nanostructure in seed plants. NATURE PLANTS 2023; 9:1154-1168. [PMID: 37349550 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01430-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Wood cellulose microfibril (CMF) is the most abundant organic substance on Earth but its nanostructure remains poorly understood. There are controversies regarding the glucan chain number (N) of CMFs during initial synthesis and whether they become fused afterward. Here, we combined small-angle X-ray scattering, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray diffraction analyses to resolve CMF nanostructures in native wood. We developed small-angle X-ray scattering measurement methods for the cross-section aspect ratio and area of the crystalline-ordered CMF core, which has a higher scattering length density than the semidisordered shell zone. The 1:1 aspect ratio suggested that CMFs remain mostly segregated, not fused. The area measurement reflected the chain number in the core zone (Ncore). To measure the ratio of ordered cellulose over total cellulose (Roc) by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, we developed a method termed global iterative fitting of T1ρ-edited decay (GIFTED), in addition to the conventional proton spin relaxation editing method. Using the formula N = Ncore/Roc, most wood CMFs were found to contain 24 glucan chains, conserved between gymnosperm and angiosperm trees. The average CMF has a crystalline-ordered core of ~2.2 nm diameter and a semidisordered shell of ~0.5 nm thickness. In naturally and artificially aged wood, we observed only CMF aggregation (contact without crystalline continuity) but not fusion (forming a conjoined crystalline unit). This further argued against the existence of partially fused CMFs in new wood, overturning the recently proposed 18-chain fusion hypothesis. Our findings are important for advancing wood structural knowledge and more efficient use of wood resources in sustainable bio-economies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hwan-Ching Tai
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People's Republic of China.
| | - Chih-Hui Chang
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Republic of China
| | - Wenjie Cai
- School of Cultural Industry and Tourism and Cultural Industry Research Center, Fujian Social Science Research Base, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen, People's Republic of China
| | - Jer-Horng Lin
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Republic of China
| | - Shing-Jong Huang
- Instrumentation Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Republic of China
| | - Qian-Yan Lin
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Republic of China
| | | | - Shu-Li Li
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Republic of China
| | - Ying-Chung Jimmy Lin
- Department of Life Science and Institute of Plant Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Republic of China
| | | | - Cheng-Si Tsao
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Republic of China.
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Solhi L, Guccini V, Heise K, Solala I, Niinivaara E, Xu W, Mihhels K, Kröger M, Meng Z, Wohlert J, Tao H, Cranston ED, Kontturi E. Understanding Nanocellulose-Water Interactions: Turning a Detriment into an Asset. Chem Rev 2023; 123:1925-2015. [PMID: 36724185 PMCID: PMC9999435 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Modern technology has enabled the isolation of nanocellulose from plant-based fibers, and the current trend focuses on utilizing nanocellulose in a broad range of sustainable materials applications. Water is generally seen as a detrimental component when in contact with nanocellulose-based materials, just like it is harmful for traditional cellulosic materials such as paper or cardboard. However, water is an integral component in plants, and many applications of nanocellulose already accept the presence of water or make use of it. This review gives a comprehensive account of nanocellulose-water interactions and their repercussions in all key areas of contemporary research: fundamental physical chemistry, chemical modification of nanocellulose, materials applications, and analytical methods to map the water interactions and the effect of water on a nanocellulose matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laleh Solhi
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, EspooFI-00076, Finland
| | - Valentina Guccini
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, EspooFI-00076, Finland
| | - Katja Heise
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, EspooFI-00076, Finland
| | - Iina Solala
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, EspooFI-00076, Finland
| | - Elina Niinivaara
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, EspooFI-00076, Finland.,Department of Wood Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British ColumbiaV6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Wenyang Xu
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, EspooFI-00076, Finland.,Laboratory of Natural Materials Technology, Åbo Akademi University, TurkuFI-20500, Finland
| | - Karl Mihhels
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, EspooFI-00076, Finland
| | - Marcel Kröger
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, EspooFI-00076, Finland
| | - Zhuojun Meng
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, EspooFI-00076, Finland.,Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou325001, China
| | - Jakob Wohlert
- Wallenberg Wood Science Centre (WWSC), Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 10044Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Han Tao
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, EspooFI-00076, Finland
| | - Emily D Cranston
- Department of Wood Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British ColumbiaV6T 1Z4, Canada.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British ColumbiaV6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Eero Kontturi
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, EspooFI-00076, Finland
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Thu TTM, Moreira RA, Weber SAL, Poma AB. Molecular Insight into the Self-Assembly Process of Cellulose Iβ Microfibril. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158505. [PMID: 35955639 PMCID: PMC9368828 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The self-assembly process of β-D-glucose oligomers on the surface of cellulose Iβ microfibril involves crystallization, and this process is analyzed herein, in terms of the length and flexibility of the oligomer chain, by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The characterization of this process involves the structural relaxation of the oligomer, the recognition of the cellulose I microfibril, and the formation of several hydrogen bonds (HBs). This process is monitored on the basis of the changes in non-bonded energies and the interaction with hydrophilic and hydrophobic crystal faces. The oligomer length is considered a parameter for capturing insight into the energy landscape and its stability in the bound form with the cellulose I microfibril. We notice that the oligomer–microfibril complexes are more stable by increasing the number of hydrogen bond interactions, which is consistent with a gain in electrostatic energy. Our studies highlight the interaction with hydrophilic crystal planes on the microfibril and the acceptor role of the flexible oligomers in HB formation. In addition, we study by MD simulation the interaction between a protofibril and the cellulose I microfibril in solution. In this case, the main interaction consists of the formation of hydrogen bonds between hydrophilic faces, and those HBs involve donor groups in the protofibril.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tran Thi Minh Thu
- International Center for Research on Innovative Biobased Materials (ICRI-BioM)—International Research Agenda, Lodz University of Technology, Zeromskiego 116, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
- Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, University of Science—VNU HCM, 227 Nguyen Van Cu Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
- Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
- Correspondence: (T.T.M.T.); (A.B.P.)
| | - Rodrigo A. Moreira
- BCAM, Basque Center for Applied Mathematics, Mazarredo 14, 48009 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain;
- Biosystems and Soft Matter Division, Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawi ńskiego 5B, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Stefan A. L. Weber
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Adolfo B. Poma
- International Center for Research on Innovative Biobased Materials (ICRI-BioM)—International Research Agenda, Lodz University of Technology, Zeromskiego 116, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
- Biosystems and Soft Matter Division, Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawi ńskiego 5B, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
- Correspondence: (T.T.M.T.); (A.B.P.)
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Paajanen A, Zitting A, Rautkari L, Ketoja JA, Penttilä PA. Nanoscale Mechanism of Moisture-Induced Swelling in Wood Microfibril Bundles. NANO LETTERS 2022; 22:5143-5150. [PMID: 35767745 PMCID: PMC9284609 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c00822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Understanding nanoscale moisture interactions is fundamental to most applications of wood, including cellulosic nanomaterials with tailored properties. By combining X-ray scattering experiments with molecular simulations and taking advantage of computed scattering, we studied the moisture-induced changes in cellulose microfibril bundles of softwood secondary cell walls. Our models reproduced the most important experimentally observed changes in diffraction peak locations and widths and gave new insights into their interpretation. We found that changes in the packing of microfibrils dominate at moisture contents above 10-15%, whereas deformations in cellulose crystallites take place closer to the dry state. Fibrillar aggregation is a significant source of drying-related changes in the interior of the microfibrils. Our results corroborate the fundamental role of nanoscale phenomena in the swelling behavior and properties of wood-based materials and promote their utilization in nanomaterials development. Simulation-assisted scattering analysis proved an efficient tool for advancing the nanoscale characterization of cellulosic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antti Paajanen
- VTT
Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 VTT, Espoo, Finland
| | - Aleksi Zitting
- Department
of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, FI-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland
| | - Lauri Rautkari
- Department
of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, FI-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland
| | - Jukka A. Ketoja
- VTT
Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 VTT, Espoo, Finland
| | - Paavo A. Penttilä
- Department
of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, FI-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland
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