While the structure, organization, perfection, size, and surface chemistry of native cellulose are a product of the celulose synthase complex, many of the resulting properties are best understood from the evolving field of nanoscience/technology. Alternatively, one can discuss cellulose crystallinity in the context of the literature of polymer crystallization and morphology. In this talk we will explore both of these paths and their consequences for native cellulose and, where possible, for other cellulose allomorphs. In addition, interferences from overlapping signals arising from non-cellulosic contributions will be considered.<br/><br/>This leads to the second issue, crystallinity estimates are made by many techniques, including diffraction intensities, various spectroscopic markers, density, etc. Are these techniques measuring the same thing and how are the measurements complicated by overlapping interferences or experimental considerations? The methods, in our view, are largely correlations where the focus relates more to the precision of the measurement than to its accuracy. Measuring the latter would require the integrated intensity of the signals, after subtraction of the background contributions overlapping signals of markers for both crystalline and non-crystalline mass fractions as well as a quantitative understanding of crystal domain size and perfection, a very tall order! Approaches, interferences, and limitations will be discussed and compared.as time permits.

Crystallinity: Why is cellulose different from other polymers and what are we measuring?

2019 Spring National Meeting

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