Swelling behavior of the cellulose Iβ crystal models by molecular dynamics

Advancing plant cell wall modelling: Atomistic insights into cellulose, disordered cellulose, and hemicelluloses - A review

The complexity of plant cell walls on different hierarchical levels still impedes the detailed understanding of biosynthetic pathways, interferes with processing in industry and finally limits applicability of cellulose materials. While there exist many challenges to readily accessing these hierarchies at (sub-) angström resolution, the development of advanced computational methods has the potential to unravel important questions in this field. Here, we summarize the contributions of molecular dynamics simulations in advancing the understanding of the physico-chemical properties of natural fibres. We aim to present a comprehensive view of the advancements and insights gained from molecular dynamics simulations in the field of carbohydrate polymers research. The review holds immense value as a vital reference for researchers seeking to undertake atomistic simulations of plant cell wall constituents. Its significance extends beyond the realm of molecular modeling and chemistry, as it offers a pathway to develop a more profound comprehension of plant cell wall chemistry, interactions, and behavior. By delving into these fundamental aspects, the review provides invaluable insights into future perspectives for exploration. Researchers within the molecular modeling and carbohydrates community can greatly benefit from this resource, enabling them to make significant strides in unraveling the intricacies of plant cell wall dynamics.

Emergence of Amphiphilicity on Surfaces of Pure Cellulose Nanofibrils Directly Generated by Aqueous Counter Collision Process

The present paper describes a downsizing mechanism of an aqueous counter collision (ACC) process that enables the rapid preparation of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) as an aqueous dispersion solely by impinging a pair of water jets containing the raw materials. Extensive studies have revealed that the resulting CNFs by ACC have amphiphilic fiber surfaces, in which two kinds of faces with different natures are present along the entire fiber axis. They therefore have superior adsorption to surfaces of various conventional polymer plastics. These characteristic adsorption behaviors, which are totally different from those for other CNFs prepared by other means, are attributable to their hydrophobic surfaces. In the present study, high-resolution microscopy, including atomic force microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy with broad argon ion beam milling, was used to determine how the emergence of such hydrophobic characteristics in a nanofibril face occurs in relation to the ACC nanopulverization mechanism due to the collision of the pair of water jets.

Extended Ensemble Molecular Dynamics Study of Ammonia-Cellulose I Complex Crystal Models: Free-Energy Landscape and Atomistic Pictures of Ammonia Diffusion in the Crystalline Phase

Here, we report extended ensemble molecular dynamics simulations of ammonia-cellulose I complex crystal models to evaluate the diffusion behavior of the guest ammonia molecules and the potential of mean force (PMF), namely, the free energy change along the chosen reaction coordinate, for migration of an ammonia molecule in the crystal models. Accelerated molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that ammonia molecules almost exclusively diffused through the hydrophilic channel even when the crystal framework was retained. Adaptive steered molecular dynamics simulations detected distinct PMF peaks with heights of approximately 7 kcal/mol as the ammonia molecule passed through the cellulose-chain layers. Introducing hybrid quantum mechanical and molecular mechanics theory to the adaptive steered molecular dynamics simulation effectively lowered the heights of the PMF peaks to approximately 5 kcal/mol, accompanied by a slight decrease in the baseline. Removal of the ammonia molecules in the neighboring channels resulted in a continuous increase in the baseline for the migration of an ammonia molecule in the hydrophilic channel. When the halves of the crystal model were separated to widen the hydrophilic channel to 0.2 nm, the PMF profiles exhibited an unexpected increase. This resulted from water structuring in the expanded hydrophilic channel, which disappeared with further expansion of the hydrophilic channel to 0.3 nm.

Understanding Nanocellulose-Water Interactions: Turning a Detriment into an Asset

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.

An environment-friendly dip-catalyst with xylan-based catalytic paper coatings

Replacing catalyst supports with sustainable and degradable materials is an urgent task. Xylan is a type of abundant natural polymers with potential applications in dispersing, anchoring, and coating materials, but its material values have always been underestimated. In this study, polyethyleneimine modified dialdehyde xylan (DAX-PEI) was used as a dispersing and anchoring agent to bind Pd nanoparticles onto paper surface to produce a DAX-PEI-Pd coated paper, which was used to catalyze Suzuki-Miyaura reactions. The catalytic coated paper exhibited a good catalytic activity with a yield of 91% and a high turnover frequency (TOF) of 3300 h^-1. Besides, it showed an excellent recyclability with the same catalytic coated paper being used 15 times and still having a yield of nearly 90%. This environment-friendly catalytic coated paper owns its great prospect in organic synthesis.

Combining Computational Chemistry and Crystallography for a Better Understanding of the Structure of Cellulose

The approaches in this article seek to enhance understanding of cellulose at the molecular level, independent of the source and the particular crystalline form of cellulose. Four main areas of structure research are reviewed. Initially, the molecular shape is inferred from the crystal structures of many small molecules that have β-(1→4) linkages. Then, conformational analyses with potential energy calculations of cellobiose are covered, followed by the use of Atoms-In-Molecules theory to learn about interactions in experimental and theoretical structures. The last section covers models of cellulose nanoparticles. Controversies addressed include the stability of twofold screw-axis conformations, the influence of different computational methods, the predictability of crystalline conformations by studies of isolated molecules, and the twisting of model cellulose crystals.

Theoretical study of cellulose II nanocrystals with different exposed facets

Derived from the most abundant natural polymer, cellulose nanocrystal materials have attracted attention in recent decades due to their chemical and mechanical properties. However, still unclear is the influence of different exposed facets of the cellulose nanocrystals on the physicochemical properties. Herein, we first designed cellulose II nanocrystals with different exposed facets, the hydroxymethyl conformations distribution, hydrogen bond (HB) analysis, as well as the relative structural stability of these models (including crystal facets {A, B, O} and Type-A models vary in size) are theoretically investigated. The results reveal that the HB network of terminal anhydroglucose depends on the adjacent chain's contact sites in nanocrystals exposed with different facets. Compared to nanocrystals exposed with inclined facet, these exposed with flat facet tend to be the most stable. Therefore, the strategy of tuning exposed crystal facets will guide the design of novel cellulose nanocrystals with various physicochemical properties.

Understanding Plant Biomass via Computational Modeling

Plant biomass, especially wood, has been used for structural materials since ancient times. It is also showing great potential for new structural materials and it is the major feedstock for the emerging biorefineries for building a sustainable society. The plant cell wall is a hierarchical matrix of mainly cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Herein, the structure, properties, and reactions of cellulose, lignin, and wood cell walls, studied using density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD), which are the widely used computational modeling approaches, are reviewed. Computational modeling, which has played a crucial role in understanding the structure and properties of plant biomass and its nanomaterials, may serve a leading role on developing new hierarchical materials from biomass in the future.

Strengthening and Toughening Hierarchical Nanocellulose via Humidity-Mediated Interface

Undoubtedly humidity is a non-negligible and sensitive problem for cellulose, which is usually regarded as one disadvantage to cellulose-based materials because of the uncontrolled deformation and mechanical decline. But the lack of an in-depth understanding of the interfacial behavior of nanocellulose in particular makes it challenging to maintain anticipated performance for cellulose-based materials under varied relative humidity (RH). Starting from multiscale mechanics, we herein carry out first-principles calculations and large-scale molecular dynamics simulations to demonstrate the humidity-mediated interface in hierarchical cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and associated deformation modes. More intriguingly, the simulations and subsequent experiments reveal that water molecules (moisture) as the interfacial media can strengthen and toughen nanocellulose simultaneously within a suitable range of RH. From the perspective of interfacial design in materials, the anomalous mechanical behavior of nanocellulose with humidity-mediated interfaces indicates that flexible hydrogen bonds (HBs) play a pivotal role in the interfacial sliding. The difference between CNC-CNC HBs and CNC-water-CNC HBs triggers the humidity-mediated interfacial slipping in nanocellulose, resulting in the arising of a pronounced strain hardening stage and the suppression of strain localization during uniaxial tension. This inelastic deformation of nanocellulose with humidity-mediated interfaces is similar to the Velcro-like behavior of a wet wood cell wall. Our investigations give evidence that the humidity-mediated interface can promote the mechanical enhancement of nanocellulose, which would provide a promising strategy for the bottom-up design of cellulose-based materials with tailored mechanical properties.

Irregular and suppressed elastic deformation by a structural twist in cellulose nanofibre models

The elastic responsiveness of single cellulose nanofibres is important for advanced analysis of biological tissues and their use in sophisticated functional materials. However, the mechanical responsiveness derived from the twisted structure of cellulose nanofibres (CNFs) has remained unexplored. In this study, finite element simulations were applied to characterize the deformation response derived from the torsional structure by performing tensile and bending tests of an unconventionally very long and twisted rod model, having the known dimensional parameters and properties of CNFs. The antagonistic action of two types of structural elements (a contour twist and a curvilinear coordinate) was found to result in an irregular deformation response but with only small fluctuations. The contour twist generated rotational displacements under tensile load, but the curvilinear coordinate suppressed rotational displacement. Under bending stress, the contour twist minimized irregular bending deformation because of the orthotropic properties and made the bending stress transferability a highly linear response.

Molecular Insight into the Cosolvent Effect on Lignin-Cellulose Adhesion

Understanding and controlling the physical adsorption of lignin compounds on cellulose pulp are key parameters in the successful optimization of organosolv processes. The effect of binary organic-aqueous solvents on the coordination of lignin to cellulose was studied with molecular dynamics simulations, considering ethanol and acetonitrile to be organic cosolvents in aqueous solutions in comparison to their monocomponent counterparts. The structures of the solvation shells around cellulose and lignin and the energetics of lignin-cellulose adhesion indicate a more effective disruption of lignin-cellulose binding by binary solvents. The synergic effect between solvent components is explained by their preferential interactions with lignin-cellulose complexes. In the presence of pure water, long-lasting H-bonds in the lignin-cellulose complex are observed, promoted by the nonfavorable interactions of lignin with water. Ethanol and acetonitrile compete with water and lignin for cellulose oxygen binding sites, causing a nonlinear decrease in the lignin-cellulose interactions with the amount of the organic component. This effect is modulated by the water exclusion from the cellulose solvation shell by the organic solvent component. The amount and rate of water exclusion depend on the type of organic cosolvent and its concentration.

Preferred crystallographic orientation of cellulose in plant primary cell walls

Cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer on earth, is a versatile, energy rich material found in the cell walls of plants, bacteria, algae, and tunicates. It is well established that cellulose is crystalline, although the orientational order of cellulose crystallites normal to the plane of the cell wall has not been characterized. A preferred orientational alignment of cellulose crystals could be an important determinant of the mechanical properties of the cell wall and of cellulose-cellulose and cellulose-matrix interactions. Here, the crystalline structures of cellulose in primary cell walls of onion (Allium cepa), the model eudicot Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), and moss (Physcomitrella patens) were examined through grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS). We find that GIWAXS can decouple diffraction from cellulose and epicuticular wax crystals in cell walls. Pole figures constructed from a combination of GIWAXS and X-ray rocking scans reveal that cellulose crystals have a preferred crystallographic orientation with the (200) and (110)/([Formula: see text]) planes preferentially stacked parallel to the cell wall. This orientational ordering of cellulose crystals, termed texturing in materials science, represents a previously unreported measure of cellulose organization and contradicts the predominant hypothesis of twisting of microfibrils in plant primary cell walls.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Cellulose I-Ethylenediamine Complex Crystal Models

Cellulose I fibrils swell on exposure to ethylenediamine (EDA), which forms the cellulose I-EDA complex. These are regarded as host materials with guest intercalation. The present study reports molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of cellulose I-EDA crystal models with finite fiber to reproduce desorption of EDA molecules. The force field parameters for EDA were improved. Part of the EDA molecules was desorbed only from the surfaces of the crystal models, not from their interiors. The EDA molecules diffused through a hydrophilic channel composed of the hydrophilic edges of the cellulose chains, and their conformations and orientations changed. With the configuration of the cellulose chains being held, the vacant hydrophilic channel was immediately filled with water molecules. The innermost part of the crystal models, defined as a core unit, was partly deformed from the initial crystal structure, including the changes in the exocyclic group conformations of the cellulose chains and the orientations of the EDA molecules, coupled with partial reconfiguration of the intermolecular hydrogen bonding scheme. A possible crystalline conversion scheme after complete desorption of EDA has been discussed based on the present findings.

Thermal Response in Cellulose Iβ Based on Molecular Dynamics

The structural details of cellulose I β were discussed according to molecular dynamics simulations with the GLYCAM-06 force field. The simulation outcomes were in agreement with previous experimental data, including structural parameters and hydrogen bond pattern at 298 K. We found a new conformation of cellulose Iβ existed at the intermediate temperature that is between the low and high temperatures. Partial chain rotations along the backbone direction were found and conformations of hydroxymethyl groups that alternated from tg to either gt or gg were observed when the temperature increased from 298 K to 400 K. In addition, the gg conformation is preferred than gt. For the structure adopted at high temperature of 500 K, major chains were twisted and two chains detached from each plain. In contrast to the observation under intermediate temperature, the population of hydroxymethyl groups in gt exceeded that in gg conformation at high temperature. In addition, three patterns of hydrogen bonding were identified at low, intermediate and high temperatures in the simulations. The provided structural information indicated the transitions occurred around 350 K and 450 K, considered as the transitional temperatures of cellulose Iβ in this work.

DFT Optimization of Isolated Molecular Chain Sheet Models Constituting Native Cellulose Crystal Structures

Because of high crystallinity and natural abundance, the crystal structures of the native cellulose allomorphs have been theoretically investigated to elucidate the cellulose chain packing schemes. Here, we report systematic structure optimization of cellulose chain sheet models isolated from the cellulose Iα and Iβ crystals by density functional theory (DFT). For each allomorph, the three-dimensional chain packing structure was partitioned along each of the three main crystal planes to construct either a flat chain sheet model or two stacked chain sheet models, each consisting of four cello-octamers. Various combinations of the basis set and DFT functional were investigated. The flat chain sheet models constituting the cellulose Iα (110) and Iβ (100) planes, where the cellulose chains are mainly linked by intermolecular hydrogen bonds, exhibit a right-handed twist. More uniform and symmetrical sheet twists are observed when the flat chain sheet models are optimized using a basis set with diffuse functions (6-31+G(d,p)). The intermolecular interactions are more stable when the chain sheet models are optimized with the two hybrid functionals CAM-B3LYP and M06-2X. Optimization of the two stacked chain sheet models, where van der Waals interactions predominated between adjacent chains, gave differing results; those retaining the initial structures and those losing the sheet appearance, corresponding to the cellulose Iα/Iβ (010)/(11̅0) and (100)/(110) chain sheet models, respectively. The cellulose Iβ (11̅0) chain sheet model is more stable using the M06-2X functional than using the CAM-B3LYP functional.

Liquid Water Confined in Cellulose with Variable Interfacial Hydrophilicity

We investigate liquid water confined within nanoscale cellulose slabs by means of molecular dynamics simulations. Depending on the construction of the cellulose–water interface, two different surface structures with distinct levels of hydrophilicity are exposed to the water. The different philicities are reflected in the response of the water phase to this geometric confinement, both in terms of the density profile and in the strength of the aqueous hydrogen bonding network. At the smooth surface cut along the (010) axis of the cellulose crystal, water shows typical properties of a hydrophilic confinement: the density shows fluctuations that disappear further away from the wall, the water molecules orient themselves and the coordination numbers increases at the interface. As a consequence, the water becomes “harder” at the interface, with a considerably increased local ordering. At the zigzag-shaped surface along the (111) axis, the degree of hydrophilicity is reduced, and only small effects can be seen: the density shows weak fluctuations, and the orientation of the water molecules is closer to that of bulk water than to the smooth surface. The local coordination numbers remains constant over the whole confinement. Our work shows that the nature of the exposed cellulose interface has a strong influence on how the structure of adjacent water is modified. The different ways of surface construction yield distinct degrees of hydrophilicity and spatial accessibility regarding the hydrogen bond network, resulting in a notably different interfacial water structure.

Hydrogen bonds and twist in cellulose microfibrils

There is increasing experimental and computational evidence that cellulose microfibrils can exist in a stable twisted form. In this study, atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to investigate the importance of intrachain hydrogen bonds on the twist in cellulose microfibrils. We systematically enforce or block the formation of these intrachain hydrogen bonds by either constraining dihedral angles or manipulating charges. For the majority of simulations a consistent right handed twist is observed. The exceptions are two sets of simulations that block the O2-O6' intrachain hydrogen bond, where no consistent twist is observed in multiple independent simulations suggesting that the O2-O6' hydrogen bond can drive twist. However, in a further simulation where exocyclic group rotation is also blocked, right-handed twist still develops suggesting that intrachain hydrogen bonds are not necessary to drive twist in cellulose microfibrils.

Unraveling cellulose microfibrils: a twisted tale

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of cellulose microfibrils are pertinent to the paper, textile, and biofuels industries for their unique capacity to characterize dynamic behavior and atomic-level interactions with solvent molecules and cellulase enzymes. While high-resolution crystallographic data have established a solid basis for computational analysis of cellulose, previous work has demonstrated a tendency for modeled microfibrils to diverge from the linear experimental structure and adopt a twisted conformation. Here, we investigate the dependence of this twisting behavior on computational approximations and establish the theoretical basis for its occurrence. We examine the role of solvent, the effect of nonbonded force field parameters [partial charges and van der Waals (vdW) contributions], and the use of explicitly modeled oxygen lone pairs in both the solute and solvent. Findings suggest that microfibril twisting is favored by vdW interactions, and counteracted by both intrachain hydrogen bonds and solvent effects at the microfibril surface.

Optimizing Solute-Solute Interactions in the GLYCAM06 and CHARMM36 Carbohydrate Force Fields Using Osmotic Pressure Measurements

GLYCAM06 and CHARMM36 are successful force fields for modeling carbohydrates. To correct recently identified deficiencies with both force fields, we adjusted intersolute nonbonded parameters to reproduce the experimental osmotic coefficient of glucose at 1 M. The modified parameters improve behavior of glucose and sucrose up to 4 M and improve modeling of a dextran 55-mer. While the modified parameters may not be applicable to all carbohydrates, they highlight the use of osmotic simulations to optimize force fields.

Cellulose Nanofibrils and Mechanism of their Mineralization in Biomimetic Synthesis of Hydroxyapatite/Native Bacterial Cellulose Nanocomposites: Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of a nanofibril of native bacterial cellulose (BC) in solutions of mineral ions is presented. The supersaturated calcium-phosphate (CP) solution with the ionic composition of hydroxyapatite and CaCl2 solutions with the concentrations below, equal to, and above the solubility limits are simulated. The influence of solvation models (TIP3P and TIP4P-ew water models) on structural characteristics of the simulated nanofibril and on the crystal nucleation process is assessed. The structural characteristics of cellulose nanofibrils (in particular, of the surface layer) are found to be nearly independent of the solvation models used in the simulation and on the presence of ions in the solutions. It is shown that ionic clusters are formed in the solution rather than on the fibril surface. The cluster sizes are slightly different for the two water models. The effect of the ion-ion interaction parameters on the results is discussed. The main conclusion is that the activity of hydroxyl groups on the BC fibril surface is not high enough to cause adsorption of Ca(2+) ions from the solution. Therefore, the nucleation of CP crystals takes place initially in solution, and then the crystallites formed can be adsorbed on BC nanofibril surfaces.

Effect of microfibril twisting on theoretical powder diffraction patterns of cellulose Iβ

Previous studies of calculated diffraction patterns for cellulose crystallites suggest that distortions that arise once models have been subjected to MD simulation are the result of both microfibril twisting and changes in unit cell dimensions induced by the empirical force field; to date, it has not been possible to separate the individual contributions of these effects. To provide a better understanding of how twisting manifests in diffraction data, the present study demonstrates a method for generating twisted and linear cellulose structures that can be compared without the bias of dimensional changes, allowing assessment of the impact of twisting alone. Analysis of unit cell dimensions, microfibril volume, hydrogen bond patterns, glycosidic torsion angles, and hydroxymethyl group orientations confirmed that the twisted and linear structures collected with this method were internally consistent, and theoretical powder diffraction patterns for the two were shown to be effectively indistinguishable. These results indicate that differences between calculated patterns for the crystal coordinates and twisted structures from MD simulation can result entirely from changes in unit cell dimensions, and not from microfibril twisting alone. Although powder diffraction patterns for models in the 81-chain size regime were shown to be unaffected by twisting, suggesting that a modest degree of twist is not inconsistent with experimental data, it may be that other diffraction techniques are capable of detecting this structural difference. Until such time as definitive experimental evidence comes to light, the results of this study suggest that both twisted and linear microfibrils may represent an appropriate model for cellulose Iβ.

Dimensions of Biological Cellulose Nanocrystals Maximize Fracture Strength

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) exhibit outstanding mechanical properties exceeding that of Kevlar, serving as reinforcing domains in nature's toughest biological nanocomposites such as wood. To establish a molecular-level understanding of how CNCs develop high resistance to failure, here we present new analyses based on atomistic simulations on the fracture energy of Iβ CNCs. We show that the fracture energy depends on the crystal width, due to edge defects that significantly reduce the fracture energy of small crystals but have a negligible effect beyond a critical width. Additionally, collective effects of sheet stacking and stabilization by van der Waals interactions saturate at a critical crystal thickness that we predict with an analytical relationship based on a physical model. Remarkably, ideal dimensions optimizing fracture energy are found to be 4.8-5.6 nm in thickness (approximately 6-7 layers) and 6.2-7.3 nm in width (approximately 6-7 cellulose chains), which correspond to the common dimensions of CNCs found in nature. Our studies shed light on evolutionary principles that provide guidance toward high mechanical performance in natural and synthetic nanobiocomposites.

Correlations between steric/thermochemical parameters and O-/N-acylation reactions of cellulose

N(α)-t-Butyloxycarbonyl (Boc)-amino acids (Xaa = Gly, Ala, or β-Ala) were reacted with the cellulose hydroxyl groups (O-acylation) using N,N'-carbonyl diimidazole. The degrees of substitution toward the total hydroxyl groups (DS%(/OH)s) were 38% for O-(Boc-Gly)-Cellulose, 29% for O-(Boc-Ala)-Cellulose and 53% for O-(Boc-β-Ala)-Cellulose. The one-by-one N-acylation between the O-(Xaa)-Celluloses and Boc-Ala-Gly using a water-soluble carbodiimide yielded the conjugates N-(Boc-Ala-Gly)-Xaa-Celluloses with DS%(/NH2) values of 25% (Xaa = Gly), 35% (Ala), and 48% (β-Ala), respectively. The results were well correlated with ΔG and ΔEstrain profiles, which were predicted by semi-empirical thermochemical parameter calculation coupled with conformer search (R(2)>0.90). N-acylation of the O-(β-Ala)-Cellulose using various length of oligo-peptides, Boc-(Ala-Gly)n and Boc-(Gly-Ala)n (where, n = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0), suggested that the DS%(/NH2) was dependent on the structural features of the symmetric anhydrides as the N-acylating agents, including conformer populations and their transition energy.

Overview of computer modeling of cellulose

Although it has a deceptively simple primary structure, the collective organization of bulk cellulose, particularly as it exists in cellulose fibers in the cell walls of living plants and other organisms, is quite diverse and complex. While some experimental techniques, such as vibrational spectroscopy and diffraction from partially crystalline samples, are able to provide insights into the organization of bulk cellulose, its intrinsic complexity has left many questions still unanswered. For this reason, additional probes of cellulose structure would be highly desirable. With the continuing advances in computer power through massive parallelization, and the steady progress in computer codes and force fields for modeling carbohydrate systems, molecular mechanics simulations have become an attractive means of studying cellulosic systems at the atomic and molecular level. The coming decade will almost certainly see remarkable advances in the understanding of cellulose using such simulations.

A Solvent-Free Coarse Grain Model for Crystalline and Amorphous Cellulose Fibrils

Understanding biomass structure and dynamics on a range of time and length scales is important for the development of cellulosic biofuels. Here, to enable length and time scale extension, we develop a coarse grain (CG) model for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of cellulose. For this purpose, we use distribution functions from fully atomistic MD simulations as target observables. A single bead per monomer level coarse graining is found to be sufficient to successfully reproduce structural features of crystalline cellulose. Without the use of constraints the CG crystalline fibril is found to remain stable over the maximum simulation length explored in this study (>1 μs). We also extend the CG representation to model fully amorphous cellulose fibrils. This is done by using an atomistic MD simulation of fully solvated individual cellulose chains as a target for developing the corresponding fully amorphous CG force field. Fibril structures with different degrees of crystallinity are obtained using force fields derived using a parameter coupling the crystalline and amorphous potentials. The method provides an accurate and constraint-free approach to derive CG models for cellulose with a wide range of crystallinity, suitable for incorporation into large-scale models of lignocellulosic biomass.

Cellulose nanomaterials review: structure, properties and nanocomposites

This critical review provides a processing-structure-property perspective on recent advances in cellulose nanoparticles and composites produced from them. It summarizes cellulose nanoparticles in terms of particle morphology, crystal structure, and properties. Also described are the self-assembly and rheological properties of cellulose nanoparticle suspensions. The methodology of composite processing and resulting properties are fully covered, with an emphasis on neat and high fraction cellulose composites. Additionally, advances in predictive modeling from molecular dynamic simulations of crystalline cellulose to the continuum modeling of composites made with such particles are reviewed (392 references).