title: Solid-State 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Characterization of Cellulose in the Cell Walls of Arabidopsis thaliana Leaves.
abstract: Solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance was used to characterize the molecular ordering of cellulose in a cell-wall preparation containing mostly primary walls obtained from the leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana. Proton and 13C spin relaxation time constants showed that the cellulose was in a crystalline rather than a paracrystalline state or amorphous state. Cellulose chains were distributed between the interiors (40%) and surfaces (60%) of crystallites, which is consistent with crystallite cross-sectional dimensions of about 3 nm. Digital resolution enhancement revealed signals indicative of triclinic and monoclinic crystalline forms of cellulose mixed in similar proportions. Of the five nuclear spin relaxation processes used, proton rotating-frame relaxation provided the clearest distinction between cellulose and other cell-wall components for purposes of editing solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra.
authors.affiliation: Industrial Research Limited, P.O. Box 31-310, Lower Hutt, New Zealand (R.H.N.).
authors.forename: R. H.
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: L. M.
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: P. J.
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Harris