Structure of Nascent Microbial Cellulose I. Effects of Methyl and Methoxy Groups of Direct Blue 1 and 53 on Nascent Microbial Cellulose

Abstract

The effects of methyl and methoxy groups in Direct Blue 1 and Direct Blue 53 on the structure of nascent microbial cellulose were characterized by X-ray, solid state 13C NMR and deuteration-IR measurements. There were no other differences between these two direct dyes, except methyl and methoxy groups. The product obtained from Acetobacter-culture in the presence of each Direct Blue 1 and Direct Blue 53 is a crystalline complex composed of a dye and cellulose, and the product has a structure in which the dye molecule is between the cellulose sheets corresponding to the (100) plane of the complex, i.e., (110) planes of microbial cellulose. Celluloses regenerated from both products form cellulose II. Although Direct Blue 1 contains two methoxy groups and Direct Blue 53 contains two methyl groups, different effects of these groups on the structure of nascent microbial cellulose were not identified.