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  • Accepted Manuscript: Plasticity, elasticity, and adhesion energy of plant cell walls: nanometrology of lignin loss using atomic force microscopy

Title: Plasticity, elasticity, and adhesion energy of plant cell walls: nanometrology of lignin loss using atomic force microscopy

The complex organic polymer, lignin, abundant in plants, prevents the efficient extraction of sugars from the cell walls that is required for large scale biofuel production. Because lignin removal is crucial in overcoming this challenge, the question of how the nanoscale properties of the plant cell ultrastructure correlate with delignification processes is important. Here, we report how distinct molecular domains can be identified and how physical quantities of adhesion energy, elasticity, and plasticity undergo changes, and whether such quantitative observations can be used to characterize delignification. By chemically processing biomass, and employing nanometrology, the various stages of lignin removal are shown to be distinguished through the observed morphochemical and nanomechanical variations. Such spatially resolved correlations between chemistry and nanomechanics during deconstruction not only provide a better understanding of the cell wall architecture but also is vital for devising optimum chemical treatments.
Authors:
 [1] ; ORCiD logo [2] ;  [3] ;  [4] ;  [5] ;  [5] ;  [6]
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  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Quantum Information Science, Computational Sciences and Engineering Division. BioEnergy Science Center (BESC). Biosciences Division; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
  2. Aix Marseille Univ., Marseille (France). Interdisciplinary Center of Nanoscience at Marseille (CINaM)
  3. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). BioEnergy Science Center (BESC). Biosciences Division; Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States). School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
  4. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Quantum Information Science, Computational Sciences and Engineering Division; Aix Marseille Univ., Marseille (France). Interdisciplinary Center of Nanoscience at Marseille (CINaM)
  5. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). BioEnergy Science Center (BESC). Biosciences Division; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
  6. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Quantum Information Science, Computational Sciences and Engineering Division. BioEnergy Science Center (BESC). Biosciences Division; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Dept. of Physics
Publication Date:
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Scientific Reports
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 7; Journal ID: ISSN 2045-2322
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group
Research Org:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23)
Contributing Orgs:
Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Aix Marseille Univ., Marseille (France); Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
09 BIOMASS FUELS; 77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; applications of atomic force microscopy (AFM); nanoscale materials
OSTI Identifier:
1346628
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