Title: Nanoscale FTIR and Mechanical Mapping of Plant Cell Walls for Understanding Biomass Deconstruction

Abstract

Nano-FTIR and PeakForce quantitative nanomechanical mapping (PF QNM) are new AFM-based techniques that can be applied to plant tissues to get high-resolution spatial distribution of features that are unavailable from bulk characterization. This can be useful for finding changes to plant cell walls by processing technologies, mutations, or the environment. Three poplar hardwoods of varying recalcitrance and composition (high lignin, low lignin, and mutant) were investigated by nano-FTIR and PF QNM. Bulk characterization was carried out by conventional FTIR and NMR of isolated cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. We found that in nano-FTIR spectra of secondary cell walls (SCW) and compound middle lamella (CML), 1162 and 1269 cm^–1 could distinctly identify polysaccharides and lignin, respectively. Spatial variability in the content of polysaccharides and lignin was significantly larger in CML than SCW for all three poplars. Cellulose has a disordered structure in CML in comparison to SCW. PF QNM showed that SCW had a higher modulus of elasticity than CML due to the presence of crystalline cellulose in SCW. Differences in the physicochemical properties between the SCW and CML of plants can be probed at nanoscale by these techniques.

Authors:

Bhagia, Samarthya  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Bhagia, Samarthya"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-9495-1880"

Ďurkovič, Jaroslav  ^[2];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Ďurkovič, Jaroslav"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0003-2351-7638"

Lagaňa, Rastislav  ^[3];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Lagaňa, Rastislav"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0003-2478-0008"

Kardošová, Monika ^[2]; Kačík, František  ^[3];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Kačík, František"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-8989-0833"

Cernescu, Adrian ^[4]; Schäfer, Philip ^[4]; Yoo, Chang Geun  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Yoo, Chang Geun"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-6179-2414"

Ragauskas, Arthur J.  ^[5]

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Ragauskas, Arthur J."
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-3536-554X"

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
2. Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, 96001 Zvolen, Slovakia
3. Faculty of Wood Science and Technology, Technical University in Zvolen, 96001 Zvolen, Slovakia
4. Attocube Systems AG, Eglfinger Weg 2, 85540 Haar, Germany
5. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States, Joint Institute of Biological Sciences, Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States, Center for Renewable Carbon, Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States

Publication Date:

Tue Feb 22 00:00:00 EST 2022

Research Org.:

Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1971697

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1846533; OSTI ID: 1848052

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC05-00OR22725

Resource Type:

Published Article

Journal Name:

ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Name: ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Journal Volume: 10 Journal Issue: 9; Journal ID: ISSN 2168-0485

Publisher:

American Chemical Society

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Plant cell walls; PF QNM; FTIR; Nano-FTIR; NMR; Cellulose; Hemicellulose; Lignin; Populus trichocarpa; Cells; Carbohydrates; Biopolymers; Organic polymers