Growing of Artificial Lignin on Cellulose Ferulate Thin Films

Thin films of cellulose ferulate were designed to study the formation of dehydrogenation polymers (DHPs) on anchor groups of the surface. Trimethylsilyl (TMS) cellulose ferulate with degree of substitution values of 0.35 (ferulate) and 2.53 (TMS) was synthesized by sophisticated polysaccharide chemistry applying the Mitsunobu reaction. The biopolymer derivative was spin-coated into thin films to yield ferulate moieties on a smooth cellulose surface. Dehydrogenative polymerization of coniferyl alcohol was performed in a Quartz crystal microbalance with a dissipation monitoring device in the presence of H₂O₂ and adsorbed horseradish peroxidase. The amount of DHP formed on the surface was found to be independent of the base layer thickness from 14 to 75 nm. Pyrolysis-GC-MS measurements of the DHP revealed β-O-4 and β-5 linkages. Mimicking lignification of plant cell walls on highly defined model films enables reproducible investigations of structure-property relationships.

Ultrathin Films of Cellulose: A Materials Perspective

A literature review on ultrathin films of cellulose is presented. The review focuses on different deposition methods of the films-all the way from simple monocomponent films to more elaborate multicomponent structures-and the use of the film structures in the vast realm of materials science. The common approach of utilizing cellulose thin films as experimental models is therefore omitted. The reader will find that modern usage of cellulose thin films constitutes an exciting emerging area within materials science and it goes far beyond the traditional usage of the films as model systems.