title: In situ FT-IR microscopic study on enzymatic treatment of poplar wood cross-sections.
abstract: The feasibility of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) microscopy to monitor in situ the enzymatic degradation of wood was investigated. Cross-sections of poplar wood were treated with cellulase Onozuka RS within a custom-built fluidic cell. Light-optical micrographs and FT-IR spectra were acquired in situ from normal and tension wood fibers. Light-optical micrographs showed almost complete removal of the gelatinous (G) layer in tension wood. No structural and spectral changes were observed in the lignified cell walls. The accessibility of cellulose within the lignified cell wall was found to be the main limiting factor, whereas the depletion of the enzyme due to lignin adsorption could be ruled out. The fast, selective hydrolysis of the crystalline cellulose in the G-layer, even at room temperature, might be explained by the gel-like structure and the highly porous surface. Young plantation grown hardwood trees with a high proportion of G-fibers thus represent an interesting resource for bioconversion to fermentable sugars in the process to bioethanol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomaterials, Max-Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany. gierlinger@mpikg.mpg.de
authors.forename: Notburga
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gierlinger
authors.forename: Luna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Goswami
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Burgert
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coutand
authors.forename: Tilmann
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rogge
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwanninger
mesh_terms: D001709:Biotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002480:Cellulase / Q000737:chemistry*; D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry; D003460:Crystallization; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D005285:Fermentation; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008027:Light; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D032107:Populus / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared / Q000379:methods*; D013696:Temperature; D014934:Wood / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D002482:Cellulose; D002480:Cellulase