In situ modification of bacterial cellulose nanostructure by adding CMC during the growth of Gluconacetobacter xylinus

Many studies focus on bacterial cellulose (BC) functioning as multi-function bio-resource polymers, due to its fine fiber network, biocompatibility, high water holding capacity, and high mechanical strength. However, BC exhibits poor rehydration after drying due to its high crystallinity. This study added carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) to a BC producing culture medium, which interfered with the formation of BC structure in situ. This process created a modified BC called CBC, whose mechanical strength was found weaker than BC. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that the cellulose network in CBC became denser. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis demonstrated that the addition of CMC reduced crystallinity. CBC also exhibited the highest rehydration ratio because of the lowest crystallinity at the 1.0% CMC addition level.     

Effect of different additives on bacterial cellulose production by Acetobacter xylinum and analysis of material property

Bacterial cellulose (BC) demonstrates unique properties including high mechanical strength, high crystallinity, and high water retention ability, which make it an useful material in many industries, such as food, paper manufacturing, and pharmaceutical application. In this study, different additives including agar, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), microcrystalline cellulose, and sodium alginate were added into fermentation medium in agitated culture to enhance BC production by Acetobacter xylinum. The optimal additive was chosen based on the amount of BC produced. The produced BC was analyzed by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Among the evaluated additives, CMC yielded highest BC production (8.2 g/L) compared to the control (1.3 g/L). The results also indicated that CMC-altered BC production increased with CMC addition and reached saturation around 1%. The variation between replicates for all analysis was <5%. From XRD analysis, however, the crystallinity and crystal size decreased as CMC addition increased. FESEM results showed CMC-altered BC produced from agitated culture retained its interweaving property. TGA results demonstrated that CMC-altered BC had about 98% water retention ability, which is higher than BC pellicle produced with static culture. CMC-altered BC also exhibited higher T _max compared to control. Finally, DMA results showed that BC from agitated culture loses its mechanical strength in both stress at break and Young’s modulus when compared to BC pellicle. This study clearly demonstrated that addition of CMC enhanced BC production and slightly changed its structure.     

Homogeneous and porous modified bacterial cellulose achieved by in situ modification with low amounts of carboxymethyl cellulose

To improve the rehydration ability of bacterial cellulose (BC), many macromolecules have been used as modifiers in previous reports. However, the aggregation of additives in the BC matrix appears to be inevitable. We investigated different parts of a BC pellicle, which was achieved by in situ modification with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) in culture with Gluconacetobacter xylinus ATCC53582 or Enterobacter sp. FY-07. We observed a concentration gradient of CMC in the BC pellicle from G. xylinus ATCC53582, but not with Enterobacter sp. FY-07. Low concentrations of CMC (0.01 %, m/v) are sufficient to modify BC in situ in culture with Enterobacter sp. FY-07, in which CMC could sufficiently contact with the newly formed BC. The crystallinity of the modified BC decreased by more than 39.8 %, and its rehydration ability and water holding capacity increased by 43.3 and 31.0 %, respectively. Unlike the pellicle of modified BC achieved from obligate aerobes, such as G. xylinus ATCC53582, that produced by Enterobacter sp. FY-07 exhibited better homogeneity and porosity.     

Controlling the water content of never dried and reswollen bacterial cellulose by the addition of water-soluble polymers to the culture medium

For the modification of medically useful biomaterials from bacterially synthesized cellulose, fleeces of Acetobacter xylinum have been produced in the presence of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0% (m/v) carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), methylcellulose (MC), and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), respectively, in the Hestrin-Schramm culture medium. The incorporation of the water-soluble polymers into cellulose and their influence on the structure, crystal modifications, and material properties are described. With IR and solid-state ¹³C NMR spectroscopy of the fleeces, the presence of the cellulose ethers and an increase in the amorphous parts of the cellulose modifications (NMR results) have been detected. The incorporation is represented by a higher product yield, too. As demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy, a porelike cellulose network structure forms in the presence of CMC and MC. This modified structure increases the water retention ability (expressed as the water content), the ion absorption capacity, and the remaining nitrogen-containing residues from the culture medium or bacteria cells. The water content of bacterial cellulose (BC) in the never dried state and the freeze-dried, reswollen state can be controlled by the CMC concentration in the culture solution. The freeze-dried, reswollen BC-CMC (2.0%) contains 96% water after centrifugation, whereas standard BC has only 73%. About 98% water is included in a BC-MC composite in the wet state, and about 93% is included in the reswollen state synthesized in the presence of 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0% MC. These biomaterial composites can be stored in the dried state and reswollen before use, reaching a higher water absorption than pure, never dried BC. The copper ion capacity of BC-CMC composites increases proportionally with the added amount of CMC. BC-CMC (0.5%) can absorb 3 times more copper ions than original BC. In the case of 0.5 and 1.0% PVA additions to the culture solution, this polymer cannot be detected in the cellulose fleeces after they are washed. Nevertheless the presence of PVA in the culture medium effects a decreased product yield, a retention of nitrogen-containing residues in the material during purification, a reduced water absorption ability, and a slightly higher copper ion capacity in comparison with original BC. The water content of freeze-dried, reswollen BC-PVA (0.5%) is only 62%. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 463–470, 2004     

A resorbable calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite hydrogel composite for osseous regeneration

It was previously discovered that the unique structure and chemistry of bacterial cellulose (BC) permits the formation of calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite (CdHAP) nanocrystallites under aqueous conditions at ambient pH and temperature. In this study, BC was chemically modified via a limited periodate oxidation reaction to render the composite degradable and thus more suitable for bone regeneration. While native BC does not degrade in mammalian systems, periodate oxidation yields dialdehyde cellulose which breaks down at physiological pH. The composite was characterized by tensile testing, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction showed that oxidized BC retains its structure and could biomimetically form CdHAP. Degradation behavior was analyzed by incubating the samples in simulated physiological fluid (pH 7.4) at 37 °C under static and dynamic conditions. The oxidized BC and oxidized BC-CdHAP composites both lost significant mass after exposure to the simulated physiological environment. Examination of the incubation solutions by UV–Vis spectrophotometric analysis demonstrated that, while native BC released only small amounts of soluble cellulose fragments, oxidized cellulose releases carbonyl containing degradation products as well as soluble cellulose fragments. By entrapping CdHAP in a degradable hydrogel carrier, this composite should elicit bone regeneration then resorb over time to be replaced by new osseous tissue.     

Synthesis and characteristics of cellulose peroxides of the peracid type having a temperature-responsive function

The synthesis of cellulose peroxides of the peracid type having a temperature-responsive function was studied by using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and acrylic acid (AA)-grafted cellulose, into which the temperature-responsive component, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) [poly(NIPAAm)], was introduced by a photografting method (λ > 300 nm). Dissolving pulp from softwoods was used as cellulose sample. NIPAAm-grafted CMC samples prepared by photografting with CMC peroxide exhibited a slightly larger temperature-responsive character than the samples prepared by photografting with xanthone photoinitiator, where the grafted CMC samples swelled and shrank in water at 5 °C and 60 °C, respectively. Ungrafted and NIPAAm-grafted CMC samples were subjected to peroxidation with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of methanesulfonic acid. About 90% of the initial amount of peroxide on the ungrafted CMC sample disappeared after thermal decomposition at 50 °C for 60 min. On the other hand, about 50% of the peroxide on the NIPAAm-grafted CMC sample remained stable under the same conditions. Peroxides on AA/NIPAAm-grafted samples, which were prepared by photografting of AA/NIPAAm binary monomers followed by peroxidation with hydrogen peroxide, were more stable towards thermal decomposition than those on NIPAAm-grafted samples.     

Synthesis and characterization of carboxymethylcelluloses from non-wood pulps II. Rheological behavior of CMC in aqueous solution

This paper concerns the rheological behavior of carboxymethylcelulloses(CMC) derived after one and two successive steps from different non-woodbleached cellulose pulps. CMC rheological characterization was achieved in0.1M NaCl solution, as a function of polymer concentration. Theevidence of a critical concentration (C* < 1 g/L) is discussedfromsteady shear and dynamic experiments. Rheological properties of the CMC werefound to depend on the cellulose source reactivity and on their degree ofsubstitution (DS). Higher molecular weight of initial cellulose was accompaniedby higher apparent intrinsic viscosity of the CMC produced. Depending on theCMCconcentration and on the degree of etherification, the system behaves as asolution or as a gel. In the case of abaca CMC sample, it is shown that afteronly one step of chemical modification and above a polymer concentration of20 g/L, the system behaves as a gel. The gel behavior was studied asafunction of temperature. In the temperature range from 25 to 45°C, the rheological behavior was found to remain almostconstant due to the existence of dispersed swollen aggregates. This unusualcharacteristic represents an advantage for applications such as oil recovery inthe petroleum industry, where viscosity of the recovered fluid should not diminishwith temperature.     

Deposition of silver nanoparticles on cellulosic fibers via stabilization of carboxymethyl groups

The stabilizing role of carboxymethyl groups on the conformal deposition of Ag NPs over cellulosic fibers was elucidated while developing a method for the deposition of silver nanoparticles (NPs) on cellulose acetate (CA), cellulose and partially carboxymethylated cellulose (CMC) electrospun fibers. CMC fibers were prepared through judicious anionization of deacetylated cellulose acetate fibers. Ag NPs were chemically reduced from silver nitrate using sodium borohydride and further stabilized using citrate. Ag NPs were directly deposited onto CA, cellulose and CMC electrospun fibers at pH conditions ranging from 2.5 to 9.0. The resulting composites of Ag/fiber were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The results revealed that the amount of Ag agglomerates and NPs deposited on CMC fibers was higher than that deposited on cellulose fibers at similar pH conditions, and that barely any Ag agglomerates or NPs were deposited on the CA fibers. These results implied that functional groups on the cellulose backbone played two important roles in the deposition of NPs as follows: (1) Hydrogen bonding was the main driving force for agglomeration of NPs when the medium pH was below 4.4, which corresponds to the pKa of carboxylic acid groups; (2) Carboxymethyl groups could replace citrate groups as stabilizers allowing the fabrication of a uniform and evenly distributed Ag NPs layer over CMC fibers at higher pH values. This report also highlights the importance of the substrate’s surface charge and that of the pH of the medium used, on the deposition of NPs. The composite of Ag NPs on CMC electrospun fibers appears to be a promising candidate for wound dressing applications due to its superior antibacterial properties originated by the uniform and even distribution of Ag NPs on the surface of the fibers and the wound healing aptness of the CMC fibers.     

Reactivities of cellulases from fungi towards ribbon-type bacterial cellulose and band-shaped bacterial cellulose

We have investigated the reactivities of various cellulases onribbon-type bacterial cellulose (BC I) and band-shaped bacterial cellulose (BCII) so as to clarify the properties of different cellulases. BC I waseffectively hydrolyzed by exo-type cellulases from different fungi from twicetofour times as much as BC II, but endo-type cellulases showed little differencein reactivity on those substrates. One of the endo-type cellulases, EG II fromTrichoderma reesei, degraded BC II more rapidly thanexo-type cellulases even in the production of reducing sugars. The degree ofpolymerization (DP) of BC II was rapidly decreased by endo-type cellulases atanearly stage, while exo-type cellulases did not cause the decrease of DP atthe initial stage, though the decrease of DP was observed after an incubation of24 h. All exo-type cellulases adsorbed on BC I and BC II,whileendo-type cellulases except for EG II adsorbed slightly on both substrates. Itwas interesting to observe EG II adsorbed on BC I but not on BC II. It issuggested that the adsorption of enzyme on cellulose is important for thedegradation of BC I, but not for BC II. It is proposed that the ratio of aspecific activity of each enzyme between BC I and BC II represents thedifference in the mode of action of cellulase. Furthermore, the K _RW value, which we can calculate from thedecrease of DP/reducing sugar produced, is effective for discriminating themode of action of cellulase, especially the evaluation of randomness in thehydrolysis of cellulose by endo- and exo-type cellulases.     

辐射交联制备改性CMC水凝胶的溶胀行为研究

利用丙烯酰胺 (AAm)接枝改性纤维素 ,然后进行羧甲基化反应得到高取代度的丙烯酰胺 羧甲基纤维素钠 (AAm CMC Na) .对该材料进行γ射线辐照制备出新型改性CMC水凝胶 .研究了这种水凝胶的溶胀动力学、交联动力学以及温度、pH值和无机盐浓度对水凝胶溶胀行为的影响 ,并与CMC Na水凝胶进行了比较 .结果表明 ,该水凝胶和CMC Na水凝胶相比 ,优点在于辐照交联所用的剂量下降 ,而且所需的CMC浓度减少 .AAm CMC Na水凝胶的溶胀度随温度升高而增大 ,在pH为 6～ 8范围内达到最大值 ,并随无机盐浓度与吸收剂量增加而下降 ,表现出较好的温度敏感性和pH敏感性 ,可望作为吸水材料和水保持剂     

Direct sulfation of bacterial cellulose with a ClSO3H/DMF complex and structure characterization of the sulfates

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a form of cellulose synthesized by microorganisms, which has unique structure properties and differs from plant cellulose. Up to now, chemical modification of BC has not been studied widely. This paper aims to prepare sodium bacterial cellulose sulfate (SBS) in N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) with a ClSO₃H/DMF complex as the sulfating agent. SBSs with diverse degree of sulfation (DS, 0.04–0.86) were synthesized. The system could change from heterogeneous to homogeneous during the sulfation. Regarding to the DS, the optimal ClSO₃H amount and reaction time were 6 mol/mol anhydroglucose unit and 4 h, respectively. DS increased a little when increasing the temperature, while the yield decreased significantly. SBSs with DS > 0.24 were soluble in deionized water. Carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed that the sulfation prefers to take place in the order of C‐6 > C‐2 > C‐3. The X‐ray diffraction profiles indicated that the crystalline structure of BC was destroyed during sulfation. BC has better reactivity than microcrystalline cellulose in both sulfation and depolymerization processes. SBS is a potential biomaterial. However, BC depolymerized obviously in present sulfation, which forbids application of SBS in material. Moisture of the reaction mixture should be removed as completely as possible to guarantee efficient sulfation and decrease depolymerization. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Radiation preparation and swelling behavior of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogels

Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is a kind of degraded polymer under γ-irradiation. However, in this work, it has been found that CMC crosslinks partially to form hydrogel by radiation technique at more than 20% CMC aqueous solution. The gel fraction increases with the dose. The crosslinking reaction of CMC is promoted in the presence of N₂ or N₂O due to the increase of free radicals on CMC backbone, but gel fraction of CMC hydrogel is not high (<40%). Some important values related to this kind of new CMC hydrogel synthesized under different conditions, such as radiation yield of crosslinking G(x), gelation dose R_g, number average molecular weight of network M_c were calculated according to the Charlesby–Pinner equation. The results indicated that although crosslinked CMC hydrogel could be prepared by radiation method, the rate of radiation degradation of CMC was faster than that of radiation crosslinking due to the character of CMC itself. Swelling dynamics of CMC hydrogel and its swelling behavior at different conditions, such as acidic, basic, inorganic salt as well as temperature were also investigated. Strong acidity, strong basicity, small amount of inorganic salts and lower temperature can reduce swelling ratio.     

Reactivity of Poly-, Di-, and monosaccharides in their hydrolysis in subcritical water

The reactivity of the water-soluble sodium salt of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), sucrose, glucose, and fructose in subcritical water at 120–320°C is reported. A mathematical model is suggested to describe the variation of the CMC molar mass during hydrolysis at various temperatures and reaction times. Kinetic parameters of the conversions of CMC, sucrose, glucose, and fructose in subcritical water are presented. High temperatures and short reaction times are favorable for the formation of monosaccharides from CMC.     

羧甲基纤维素钠和甲基纤维素在ZrO_2微粉上的吸附作用及其对悬浮体稳定性的影响

研究了ZrO2微粉自水中对羧甲基纤维素钠（CMC）和甲基纤维素（MC）的吸附作用及对ZrO2水悬浮作稳定性的影响．结果表明：（1）CMC的吸附等温线为Langmuir型,CMC可能以较为舒展的方式单层吸附于ZrO2。表面,由于有电性吸引作用在pH3．4时的极限吸附量较pH7．0时的略大;（2）MC的极限吸附量远大于CMC的,MC分子可能以线团状吸附,吸附层厚度可达14～56nm;（3）难较大浓度时MC比CMC更易于使ZrO2悬浮作稳定．     

Effect of cellulose crystallinity on bacterial cellulose assembly

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a promising biomaterial as well as a model system useful for investigating cellulose biosynthesis. BC produced under static cultivation condition is a hydrous pellicle consisting of an interconnected network of fibrils assembled in numerous dense layers. The mechanisms responsible for this layered BC assembly remain unknown. This study used calcofluor as a fluorescent marker to examine BC layer formation at the air/liquid interface. Layers are found to move downward into the media after formation while new layers continue to form at the air/liquid interface. Calcoflour is also known to reduce the crystallinity of cellulose, changing the mechanical properties of the formed BC microfibrils. Consecutive addition and accumulation of calcofluor in the culture medium is found to disrupt the layered assembly of BC. BC crystalllinity decreased by 22 % in the presence of 12 % calcofluor (v/v) in the medium as compared to BC produced without calcofluor. This result suggests that cellulose crystallinity and the mechanical properties which crystallinity provides to cellulose are major factors influencing the layered BC structure formed during biosynthesis.     

Reductive immobilization and long-term remobilization of radioactive pertechnetate using bio-macromolecules stabilized zero valent iron nanoparticles

Carboxymethyl cellulose-and starch-stabilized nZVI nanoparticles were prepared and showed high efficiency for reductive immobilization of ⁹⁹TcO₄^- in simulated groundwater.     

Characterisation of the undissolved residuals ID CMC-solutions

The undissolved fibre and gel residuals that had not completely reacted to form fully dissolved carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) ID the production of CMC were studied to clarify the reactivity of wood components ID the pulp. The undissolved residuals, the pulp and the CMC were therefore analysed on the fibre level, the cell-wall level and the chemical composition level. The results may be interpreted as indicating that the presence of undissolved residuals ID the CMC was not due to any chemical difference. The undissolved residuals were shown to consist mainly of swollen cell wall parts and some whole wood cells, mainly thick-walled compression wood and summerwood cells. They react more slowly ID the mercerisation and etherification, probably because of a greater diffusion resistance due to their larger dimensions or to a more dense structure. These cells are assumed to be less accessible for chemical penetration, but they may also contain supramolecular structures that slow down the CMC reaction.     

Bacterial cellulose–silica organic–inorganic hybrids

Bacterial cellulose (BC) hydrated membranes present nanometric reticulated structure that can be used as a template in the preparation of new organic–inorganic hybrids. BC–silica hybrids were prepared from BC membranes and tetraethoxysilane, (TEOS) at neutral pH conditions at room temperature. Macroscopically homogeneous membranes were obtained containing up to 66 wt.% of silica spheres, 20–30 nm diameter. Scanning electron micrographs clearly show the silica spheres attached to cellulose microfibrils. By removing the cellulose, the silica spheres can be easily recovered. The new hybrids are stable up to 300 °C and display a broad emission band under UV excitation assigned to oxygen-related defects at the silica particles surface. Emission color can be tuned by changing the excitation wavelength.     

纳米银在细菌纤维素凝胶膜中的原位合成及性能表征

在细菌纤维素纳米纤维网络结构中采用吐伦试剂与含醛基化合物原位反应生成纳米银颗粒, 制备了纳米银/细菌纤维素(n-Ag/BC)复合凝胶膜, 研究了不同反应条件对复合材料的银含量、 化学结构和晶体结构的影响以及n-Ag/BC的微观结构和纳米银在纤维素网络中的存在形态; 探讨了纳米银颗粒在纤维素网络中的形成机理; 采用伤口常见细菌之一金黄色葡萄球菌测试了n-Ag/BC的抑菌性能; 将n-Ag/BC与胎鼠表皮细胞共培养考察了材料的生物相容性. 研究结果表明, 在细菌纤维素纳米网络结构中可生成直径约为几十纳米的单质纳米银粒子; n-Ag/BC的银含量随着吐伦试剂浓度的增加而增加, 同时银含量还取决于含醛基化合物的用量; 原位反应生成纳米银粒子后细菌纤维素的晶型和结晶度没有发生变化; 纳米银颗粒在细菌纤维素纳米网络结构的交叉处生成, 复合材料n-Ag/BC对金黄色葡萄球菌的抑菌率达到99%以上, 不影响细胞的增殖和分化过程, 具有良好的生物相容性, 是一种有广阔应用前景的创伤修复抗感染材料.     

Adsorption of carboxymethyl cellulose on polymer surfaces: evidence of a specific interaction with cellulose

The adsorption of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), one of the most important cellulose derivatives, is crucial for many scientific investigations and industrial applications. Especially for surface modifications and functionalization of materials, the polymer is of interest. The adsorption properties of CMC are dependent not only on the solutions state, which can be influenced by the pH, temperature, and electrolyte concentration, but also on the chemical composition of the adsorbents. We therefore performed basic investigation studies on the interaction of CMC with a variety of polymer films. Thin films of cellulose, cellulose acetate, deacetylated cellulose acetate, polyethylene terephthalate, and cyclo olefin polymer were therefore prepared on sensors of a QCM-D (quartz crystal microbalance) and on silicon substrates. The films were characterized with respect to the thickness, wettability, and chemical composition. Subsequently, the interaction and deposition of CMC in a range of pH values without additional electrolyte were measured with the QCM-D method. A comparison of the QCM-D results showed that CMC is favorably deposited on pure cellulose films and deacetylated cellulose acetate at low pH values. Other hydrophilic surfaces such as silicon dioxide or polyvinyl alcohol coated surfaces did not adsorb CMC to a significant extent. Atomic force microcopy confirmed that the morphology of the adsorbed CMC layers differed depending on the substrate. On hydrophobic polymer films, CMC was deposited in the form of larger particles in lower amounts whereas hydrophilic cellulose substrates were to a high extent uniformly covered by adsorbed CMC. The chemical similarity of the CMC backbone seems to favor the irreversible adsorption of CMC when the molecule is almost uncharged at low pH values. A selectivity of the cellulose CMC interaction can therefore be assumed. All CMC treated polymer films exhibited an increased hydrophilicity, which confirmed their modification with the functional molecule.