Investigation into the Structural and Thermal Behavior of Bacterial Cellulose Fbers after Biologically Relevant Purification

Abstract

Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on the planet. Historically rooted in the paper industry, advancements in colloidal chemistry, polymer chemistry, and the development of novel saccharification techniques have expanded the commercial applications of cellulose to include the production of liquid crystal displays, use in high strength composites, and biofuels. Despite this renewed interest in cellulosic products, the establishment of cellulose as a global commodity is significantly hindered by the inefficiencies in cellulose liberation and processing. The current model associated with cellulose liberation from lignin and hemicellulose relies on the use of highly basic reagents resulting in significant alterations to cellulose native structure. Laboratory techniques have been developed to attempt to isolate cellulose, while leaving it in its native structure. In this work, we demonstrate how even mild laboratory isolation techniques significantly influence cellulose structure in bacterial cellulose. Furthermore, we propose that bacteria cellulose serves as a model for cellulose as found in plants and animals.