Despite the array of analytical tools available for cellulose characterization, a comprehensive understanding of the intricate, heterogeneous structures of cellulose fibers remains a challenge. When dealing with fiber fabrication and modification, the extent to which structural alterations impact the fiber's surface versus its entirety is hard to estimate. In response to this challenge, the Alice Core Facility has developed an analytical methodology based on the gradual limited dissolution of thin cellulose fiber layers and the subsequent analysis of these layers. This approach reveals the variations in fiber properties (including molar mass and the amount of carboxyl or carbonyl groups) along the cross-sectional profile in both - natural or man-made - cellulosic fibers. As a result, a detailed radial profile of functional groups and molecular weight distributions can be recorded.
References
Sulaeva, I., Sto̷pamo F.G., Melikhov, I., Budischowsky, D., Rahikainen, J.L., Borisova, A., Marjamaa, K., Kruus, K., Eijsink, V.G.H., Várnai, A., Potthast, A. (2024).
Beyond the Surface: A Methodological Exploration of Enzyme Impact along the Cellulose Fiber Cross-Section.
Biomacromolecules, 25(5), 3076–3086. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00152
