Abstract

Wood is complex in its chemical composition that has an important influence on its chemical behavior and mechanical strength. The complexity is reflected in the ultrastructure of the wood cell wall. In particular, the concentration of main components (cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin) changes depending on many factors such as the different type or parts of wood, and varies in different cell wall layers. From an ultrastructural standpoint, we describe the current level of knowledge about chemical characteristics of the wood cell walls. The information of distribution of main components in the cell walls of normal wood, reaction wood and water-logged archaeological wood, the cellulose microfibrils orientation, and the interactions between main components were presented based on the use of advanced techniques including transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, spectral imaging and nuclear magnetic resonance. In addition, the chemical changes of the wood cell wall during pretreatment are discussed. This mini-review not only provides a better understanding of wood chemistry, but also brings new insights into cell wall recalcitrance.

Highlights

  • Wood cell wall is a multi-component system, mainly consisting of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, which differ from one another in chemical structure and physical properties

  • In this the chemical characteristics study the distribution of lignin based on the characteristic absorption of lignin and phenols vided by spectra, and the architecture of the wood cell wall is visualized by a microscope

  • The results showed that cellulose was mostly concentrated in the secondary wall of poplar fibers, whilst the distribution of hemicellulose

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Summary

Introduction

Wood cell wall is a multi-component system, mainly consisting of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, which differ from one another in chemical structure and physical properties. The wood contains pectin, starch and proteins and low molecular weight components such as extractives, water-soluble organic compounds as well as inorganic compounds (Table 1) [4]. The content of these components varies in different parts of the same wood, such as earlywood and latewood, bark and xylem [5]. Cellulose microfibrils form the cell wall framework embedded in the matrix of lignin and hemicelluloses, which have protective and structural functions conferring resistance to chemical, microbial or enzymatic deconstruction.

Typical
Distribution of Cellulose in Wood Cell Wall
Distribution
Distribution of Lignin in Wood
Chemical Changes of Wood Cell Wall during Pretreatment
Pretreatment Methods
Orientation of Cellulose Microfibrils
Findings
Models of Cell Wall Structure

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