Wood-Derived Materials for Green Electronics, Biological Devices, and Energy Applications.

Development of distinct cell wall layers both in primary and secondary phloem fibers of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)

Ultrastructure of fibre and parenchyma cell walls during early stages of culm development in Dendrocalamus asper.

BackgroundLignin and hemicelluloses are the major components limiting enzyme infiltration into cell walls. Determination of the topochemical distribution of lignin and aromatics in sugar cane might provide important data on the recalcitrance of specific cells. We used cellular ultraviolet (UV) microspectrophotometry (UMSP) to topochemically detect lignin and hydroxycinnamic acids in individual fiber, vessel and parenchyma cell walls of untreated and chlorite-treated sugar cane. Internodes, presenting typical vascular bundles and sucrose-storing parenchyma cells, were divided into rind and pith fractions.ResultsVascular bundles were more abundant in the rind, whereas parenchyma cells predominated in the pith region. UV measurements of untreated fiber cell walls gave absorbance spectra typical of grass lignin, with a band at 278 nm and a pronounced shoulder at 315 nm, assigned to the presence of hydroxycinnamic acids linked to lignin and/or to arabino-methylglucurono-xylans. The cell walls of vessels had the highest level of lignification, followed by those of fibers and parenchyma. Pith parenchyma cell walls were characterized by very low absorbance values at 278 nm; however, a distinct peak at 315 nm indicated that pith parenchyma cells are not extensively lignified, but contain significant amounts of hydroxycinnamic acids. Cellular UV image profiles scanned with an absorbance intensity maximum of 278 nm identified the pattern of lignin distribution in the individual cell walls, with the highest concentration occurring in the middle lamella and cell corners. Chlorite treatment caused a rapid removal of hydroxycinnamic acids from parenchyma cell walls, whereas the thicker fiber cell walls were delignified only after a long treatment duration (4 hours). Untreated pith samples were promptly hydrolyzed by cellulases, reaching 63% of cellulose conversion after 72 hours of hydrolysis, whereas untreated rind samples achieved only 20% hydrolyzation.ConclusionThe low recalcitrance of pith cells correlated with the low UV-absorbance values seen in parenchyma cells. Chlorite treatment of pith cells did not enhance cellulose conversion. By contrast, application of the same treatment to rind cells led to significant removal of hydroxycinnamic acids and lignin, resulting in marked enhancement of cellulose conversion by cellulases.

In this paper, ‘reaction wood’ has been described and reference made to its wide occurrence in forest trees and the reasons for such occurrence. It has been emphasised that there may be all gradations from mild to severe reaction wood formation depending on the nature and intensity of the stimuli responsible. The macroscopic and microscopic features of the reaction wood of softwoods (compression wood) and that of hardwoods (tension wood) have been recorded. Particular attention has been paid to the variations in cell wall organization found in the two types of reaction wood and comparisons have been made with that of normal wood. Ways in which the cell wall organization might influence properties of both wood and pulp have been discussed. The chemical composition of reaction wood differs from that of comparable normal wood and these differences are particularly marked where the reaction wood is most severe. Compression wood is higher in lignin content and lower in cellulose content than normal wood of the same tree; the reverse is the case with tension wood and, in addition, the pentosan content is much lower. By staining techniques and ultra-violet microscopy, it has been shown that the cell wall of compression wood fibres is highly lignified and that of tension wood fibres is virtually unlignified. The lower pentosan content of tension wood has been correlated with the very poor papermaking qualities of chemical pulps prepared from it. On the other hand, the higher lignin content of compression wood does not apparently interfere with either the preparation or the properties of the chemical pulps prepared from it, although such pulps contain considerable quantities of lignin (in the cell wall). The association of cell wall deformations with the development of reaction wood has been referred to and it has been pointed out that such deformations are a source of weakness in pulps prepared by acid pulping methods. It was observed that tension wood produces a mechanical pulp much superior to that obtained from normal wood; on the other hand, compression wood gives a very poor mechanical pulp. Numerous investigations carried out have established that, although the presence of certain amounts of reaction wood adversely affects pulp strength properties, the decrease in strength, from a practical aspect, at least in the case of alkaline pulps, is not too great for most purposes. Finally, it has been stressed that, for the best integration of industries, those logs without reaction wood should be reserved for peeling and sawing, because in the converted timber the presence of reaction wood is likely to be extremely troublesome. This means, of course, that those logs in which reaction wood is present must go to the pulp mill, but here they can be converted into useful pulp by alkaline processes, although the strength of such pulp may be reduced somewhat, depending on the severity of the reaction wood present.

Lint percentage (LP) is an important yield component in cotton that is usually affected by initial fiber number and cell wall thickness. To explore how fiber cell wall development affects LP, phenotypic identification and dynamic transcriptome analysis were conducted using a single segment substitution line of chromosome 15 (SL15) that harbors a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) for LP. Compared to its recurrent parent LMY22, SL15 did not differ in initial fiber number, but the fiber cell wall thickness and single-fiber weight decreased significantly, altering LP. The comparative transcriptome profiles revealed that the secondary cell wall (SCW) development phase of SL15 was relatively delayed. Meanwhile, the expression of genes related to cell expansion decreased more slightly in SL15 with fiber development, resulting in relatively higher expression at SL15_25D than at LMY22_25D. SCW development-related genes, such as GhNACs and GhMYBs, in the putative NAC-MYB-CESA network differentially expressed at SL15_25D, along with the lower expression of CESA6, CSLC12, and CSLA2. The substituted chromosomal interval was further investigated, and found 6 of 146 candidate genes were differentially expressed in all four cell development periods including 10, 15, 20 and 25 DPA. Genetic variation and co-expression analysis showed that GH_D01G0052, GH_D01G0099, GH_D01G0100, and GH_D01G0140 may be important candidate genes associated with qLP-C15-1. Our results provide novel insights into cell wall development and its relationship with LP, which is beneficial for lint yield and fiber quality improvement.

Cells of mesophyll, epidermis and residual fibrous material were obtained from leaves of Italian and perennial ryegrass harvested at different stages of maturity by mechanical disruption of leaf tissue. Mesophyll cells were selectively removed by filtration through 0.045 mm nylon mesh and remaining non‐mesophyll cells centrifuged in metrizamide solutions (56–58% wt to vol.) of known density (1.308–1.329 g cm3 at 5°C) to obtain a pure epidermis cell fraction and a residual fibre fraction. Whole mesophyll cells contributed 63–72%, epidermis 12–15% and the fibre fraction 15–24% to the total leaf dry matter. Fibre values were higher in late‐cut samples. Cell walls were prepared from mesophyll and epidermis cells by disruption and washing to remove cell contents. Fibre cells were judged free of cell contents and received no further treatment. Examination of cell wall preparations by light and electron microscopy showed that both mesophyll and epidermis preparations were essentially free from contaminating material. Mesophyll cell walls were uniformly thin (200 nm) while those of epidermis ranged from 2000–3000 nm at the outer face, thinning to 300 nm or less at the inner surface. An electron‐light layer (cuticle) of approximately 200 nm thickness was present covering the outer face of the epidermis. The fibre fraction largely consisted of sclerenchyma, but contained, in addition, other vascular cells, detached annular rings and heavily silicified leaf hairs. Analysis of cell walls accounted for 85–90% of dry matter. Cellulose was the major component of all cell walls examined (approximately 40% of dry matter) with xylose residues accounting for a further 11% of mesophyll, 13.5–17.5% of epidermis and 21–25% of fibre cell walls. Arabinose was low in fibre cells but was present in much higher proportions in mesophyll and epidermis walls. The ratio of arabinose to xylose was approximately 1:1.5 for mesophyll, 1:2.5 for epidermis and 1:7.0 for the fibre fraction. The molar ratio acetyl to xylose remained fairly constant at 1:4 regardless of the grass, cell type or maturity of the sample. The uronic acid content of epidermis was higher than that in other cell types and showed an increase with increasing maturity of the grass, reaching over 9% in late‐cut samples. Total phenolic material represented 2–3% of mesophyll and epidermis cell walls and 6% of fibre walls. Ferulic acid alone was released from the primary cell walls by saponification and p‐coumaric and ferulic acids from the secondary‐thickened fibre walls. Crude protein values (NX6.25) were high in mesophyll cell wall preparations and low in epidermis and fibre cell walls. Amino acid patterns were similar for both grasses and cell types but hydroxyproline was found in greater amounts in fibre cell walls than in either epidermis or mesophyll.

Modeling the hygroexpansion of aligned wood fiber composites

A concentric cylinder model for an N-phase composite with orthotropic properties of constituents was previously presented by the authors. With only minor modifications the model allows for including also free hygroexpansion terms in the elastic stress–strain relationship in order to deal with orthotropic phase swelling. Thus the effect of wood fibre ultrastructure and cell wall hygroelastic properties on wood fibre composite hygroexpansion may be analysed.Multiscale modelling was performed to calculate the hygroexpansion coefficients of both the fibre cell wall and the aligned wood fibre composite.Furthermore, the fibre's helical structure leads to an extension–twist coupling and thus a free fibre will deform axially and also rotate upon loading in longitudinal fibre direction. Within the composite, however, the fibre rotation will be restricted. Therefore, the decision was to compare the composite performance in the two extreme cases(i) free rotation(ii) no rotation of the fibre in the composite.

The degradation of cell walls of mesophyll, epidermis and fibre cells isolated from leaves of perennial and Italian ryegrass within the sheep rumen or by selected strains of rumen bacteria in vitro , was followed by estimation of dry matter loss, or loss of neutral sugar residues. Primary cell walls (mesophyll and epidermis) were fully degraded within 12 h in the rumen, while the more heavily lignified fibre cell walls showed only a 40% loss of dry matter over the same period. Neutral sugar residues were lost at a common rate from walls of all three cell types. Incubation of cell walls with cellulolytic bacteria showed that the extent to which cell walls were attacked was constantly ordered (epidermis > mesophyll > fibre). The rate of degradation of cell walls was less in axenic culture than within the rumen. Greatest weight losses were produced by Ruminococcus albus , followed by Bacteroides succinogenes , with Ruminococcus flavefaciens effecting the least change, regardless of the nature of the cell wall provided as a substrate. Xylose was more readily lost from primary cell walls than glucose during the early stages of attack, but both were lost at a common rate from fibre cell walls. Dry matter losses produced by the hemicellulolytic strain, Bacteroides ruminocola , were limited even after extended incubation. Electron microscopy indicated that R. albus was less commonly attached to cell walls than were the other cellulolytic strains, although evidence of capsular material was present. Bacteroides succinogenes was seen with an extensive capsule which enveloped clusters of cells, forming micro‐colonies in association with the plant cell wall. Vesicle‐like structures, commonly associated with the cellulolytic bacteria R. albus and B. succinogenes , were found on comparatively few occasions in this study.

A review of the literature reveals potential advantages that papermakers can achieve by placing minerals in the lumens or cell walls of fibers before the pulp is formed into paper. Loading of filler into the fiber lumen by mechanical deposition or within the cell wall by in-situ precipitation has been reported to generally result in a moderate reduction in light scattering coefficient and increased strength properties of laboratory handsheets, as well as in paper manufactured with pilot plant equipment, when compared to conventional addition of filler. However, there are some exceptions to this general observation, where the fiber loading is reported to decrease the tensile strength of paper. Some related effects can be achieved by either precipitating mineral onto fiber surfaces or co-flocculating mineral particles with cellulosic fines. Challenges remain with respect to the implementation of fiber-loading concepts at a commercial scale. Also, there is a need for further research aimed at establishing high-end applications in which it may be an advantage to load cellulosic fiber cell walls or lumens with minerals or other substances.

Natural fibers are used to improve mechanical properties of composites materials; research into the influence of the mechanical properties of various fibers' cell walls on the mechanical properties of composites is very important for producing highquality composites.The aim of this research is to study the influence of the mechanical properties of tobacco stalk fiber cell wall on the mechanical properties of particle-based panels, comparing the properties of particleboards made with tobacco stalks from different parts of the stem (bottom, midpoint, and top) and treated tobacco stalks from the midpoint of the stem with 1% NaOH solution at 100℃ for 0, 30, 60, and 90 mins, respectively.The results show that the mechanical properties of tobacco stalk fiber cell walls from different parts of the stalk differ and are reduced after the tobacco stalk is treated with 1% NaOH solution.The mechanical properties of the tobacco stalk-based particleboard panels were negatively correlated with the mechanical properties of the tobacco stalk fiber cell wall.After the 1% NaOH treatments of 0-60 min, the middle lamellae were broken, and the mechanical properties of the particleboard were improved; after the 1% NaOH treatment of 90 min, the fiber cell walls were broken and the MOR and MOE of the panels were reduced.Thus, it was concluded that the mechanical properties of fiber cell wall can be reduced to improve the mechanical properties of particleboard panels.The improvement of the mechanical properties of particleboard with no-added-Formaldehyde resin by reducing the mechanical properties of fiber cell wall will be studied in future.

Hollow fiber-supported designer ionic liquid sponges for post-combustion CO2 scrubbing

As a major component in plant cell walls, lignin is an important factor in numerous industrial processes, especially in wood saccharification and fermentation to biofuels. The ability to chemically differentiate and spatially locate lignins in wood cell structures provides an important contribution to the effort to improve these processes. The spatial distribution of the syringyl (S) and guaiacyl (G) lignins, both over larger regions and within a single cell wall, on poplar ( Populus trichocarpa ) wood cross-sections was determined via time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). This is the first time that direct chemically specific mass spectrometric mapping has been employed to elucidate the spatial distribution of S and G lignins. In agreement with results obtained by UV microscopy, ToF-SIMS images clearly show that the guaiacyl lignin is predominantly located in the vessel cell walls of poplar wood while syringyl lignin is mainly located in the fiber cell walls. The G/S ratio in vessel cell walls was determined to be approximately twice that found in fiber cell walls. A combination of Bi ToF-SIMS spectral image acquisition and C(60) sputtering provided the ability to attain the combination of spatial resolution and signal-to-noise necessary to determine the distribution of S and G lignins in a single cell wall. By this technique, it was possible to demonstrate that more guaiacyl lignin is located in the middle lamella layer and more syringyl lignin is located in the inner cell wall area.

The development of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) fibers was studied to obtain better insight on the progression of their high mechanical performances during plant growth. Fibers at two steps of plant development were studied, namely the end of the fast growth period and at plant maturity, each time at three plant heights. The indentation modulus of the fiber cell wall was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) using peak-force quantitative nano-mechanical property mapping (PF-QNM). Changes in the cell wall modulus with the cell wall thickening were highlighted. For growing plants, fibers from top and middle heights show a loose inner Gn layer with a lower indentation modulus than mature fibers, which exhibit thickened homogeneous cell walls made only of a G layer. The influence of these changes in the fiber cell wall on the mechanical performances of extracted elementary fibers was also emphasized by tensile tests. In addition, Raman spectra were recorded on samples from both growing and mature plants. The results suggest that, for the fiber cell wall, the cellulose contribution increases with fiber maturity, leading to a greater cell wall modulus of flax fibers.

Cell wall deterioration throughout enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass is greatly affected by the chemical composition and the ultrastructure of the fiber cell wall. The resulting pattern of cell wall deterioration will reveal information on cellulose activity throughout enzymatic hydrolysis. This study investigates the progression and morphological changes in lignocellulose fibers throughout enzymatic hydrolysis, using (transmission electron microscopy) TEM and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Softwood thermo-mechanical pulp (STMP) and softwood bleached kraft pulp (SBKP), lignocellulose substrates containing almost all the original fiber composition, and with lignin and some hemicellulose removed, respectively, was compared for morphology changes throughout hydrolysis. The difference of conversion between STMP and SBKP after 48 h of enzymatic hydrolysis is 11 and 88%, respectively. TEM images revealed an even fiber cell wall cross section density, with uneven middle lamella coverage in STMP fibers. SKBP fibers exhibited some spaces between cell wall and lamella layers due to the removal of lignin and some hemicellulose. After 1 h hydrolysis in SBKP fibers, there were more changes in the fiber cross-sectional area than after 10 h hydrolysis in STMP fibers. Cell wall degradation was uneven, and originated in accessible cellulose throughout the fiber cell wall. FE-SEM images illustrated more morphology changes in SBKP fibers than STMP fibers. Enzymatic action of STMP fiber resulted in a smoother fiber surface, along with fiber peeling and the formation of ribbon-disjunction layers. SBKP fibers exhibited structural changes such as fiber erosion, fiber cutting, and fiber splitting throughout enzymatic hydrolysis.