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On the physico-chemical properties of softwood hemicellulose and compounds derived from it

Naidjonoka, Polina LU (2021)
Abstract
Hemicellulose is the second largest polysaccharide group available in nature after cellulose. Hemicellulose is present in plant cell walls along with cellulose and lignin. It is an abundant and biodegradable material that could potentially replace fossil-based products. The focus of this thesis is the properties and valorization of softwood hemicellulose (galactoglucomannan).
In the first part of the thesis, the nature of the interactions between hemicellulose and cellulose was investigated. The adsorption studies of several types of hemicelluloses to cellulose model surfaces were performed using ellipsometry, QCM-D and neutron reflectometry. The results showed that the binding between hemicellulose and cellulose involves specific... (More)
Hemicellulose is the second largest polysaccharide group available in nature after cellulose. Hemicellulose is present in plant cell walls along with cellulose and lignin. It is an abundant and biodegradable material that could potentially replace fossil-based products. The focus of this thesis is the properties and valorization of softwood hemicellulose (galactoglucomannan).
In the first part of the thesis, the nature of the interactions between hemicellulose and cellulose was investigated. The adsorption studies of several types of hemicelluloses to cellulose model surfaces were performed using ellipsometry, QCM-D and neutron reflectometry. The results showed that the binding between hemicellulose and cellulose involves specific interactions facilitated by similarity in the backbone unit conformation. The adsorption showed the molecular weight dependency with the largest adsorbed amount obtained for a hemicellulose with the largest molecular weight at a low concentration regime. The opposite trend was observed at higher concentrations. Neutron reflectometry results demonstrated that lower molecular weight hemicellulose samples with higher flexibility were able to more extensively diffuse into the amorphous parts of the cellulose layer.
In the second part of this work, the properties of various hemicellulose-based colloidal systems were evaluated. Softwood hemicellulose extract provided excellent stabilizing effect to lipid liquid crystalline phase nanoparticles. These nanoparticles showed high colloidal stability over the period of at least 42 days with no major changes in the hydrodynamic diameter and the polydispersity index.
Inclusion of mannans derived from hemicellulose in the structure of thermoresponsive NIPAm-based copolymers shifted the transition temperature to higher values. Mannan side groups were here suggested to create a hydrophilic shell around the hydrophobic particle that provided a stabilizing effect at the elevated temperatures up to 70°C.
Finally, the hemicellulose-based surfactant mixture demonstrated surface active properties with formation of two separate kinds of micelles as evidenced by the two inflection points in the surface tension curve. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Associate Professor Österberg, Monika, Aalto University, Finland
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
pages
230 pages
publisher
MediaTryck Lund
defense location
Kemicentrum Sal A, Lund. Join via zoom: https://lu-se.zoom.us/j/67187266098
defense date
2021-01-15 09:00:00
ISBN
978-91-7422-772-7
978-91-7422-773-4
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
84cbbeb7-eaa9-4801-820c-52923c952c60
date added to LUP
2020-12-20 21:55:23
date last changed
2022-04-12 14:57:12
@phdthesis{84cbbeb7-eaa9-4801-820c-52923c952c60,
  abstract     = {{Hemicellulose is the second largest polysaccharide group available in nature after cellulose. Hemicellulose is present in plant cell walls along with cellulose and lignin. It is an abundant and biodegradable material that could potentially replace fossil-based products. The focus of this thesis is the properties and valorization of softwood hemicellulose (galactoglucomannan).<br/>In the first part of the thesis, the nature of the interactions between hemicellulose and cellulose was investigated. The adsorption studies of several types of hemicelluloses to cellulose model surfaces were performed using ellipsometry, QCM-D and neutron reflectometry. The results showed that the binding between hemicellulose and cellulose involves specific interactions facilitated by similarity in the backbone unit conformation. The adsorption showed the molecular weight dependency with the largest adsorbed amount obtained for a hemicellulose with the largest molecular weight at a low concentration regime. The opposite trend was observed at higher concentrations. Neutron reflectometry results demonstrated that lower molecular weight hemicellulose samples with higher flexibility were able to more extensively diffuse into the amorphous parts of the cellulose layer.<br/>In the second part of this work, the properties of various hemicellulose-based colloidal systems were evaluated. Softwood hemicellulose extract provided excellent stabilizing effect to lipid liquid crystalline phase nanoparticles. These nanoparticles showed high colloidal stability over the period of at least 42 days with no major changes in the hydrodynamic diameter and the polydispersity index.<br/>Inclusion of mannans derived from hemicellulose in the structure of thermoresponsive NIPAm-based copolymers shifted the transition temperature to higher values. Mannan side groups were here suggested to create a hydrophilic shell around the hydrophobic particle that provided a stabilizing effect at the elevated temperatures up to 70°C.<br/>Finally, the hemicellulose-based surfactant mixture demonstrated surface active properties with formation of two separate kinds of micelles as evidenced by the two inflection points in the surface tension curve.}},
  author       = {{Naidjonoka, Polina}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-7422-772-7}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  publisher    = {{MediaTryck Lund}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  title        = {{On the physico-chemical properties of softwood hemicellulose and compounds derived from it}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/88279309/Thesis_PolinaN.pdf}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}