Conformation of curdlan as observed by tapping mode atomic force microscopy

Tapping mode atomic force microscopy was used to study the bacterial polysaccharide curdlan deposited from dimethyl sulfoxide (Me₂SO) and NaOH aqueous solutions. For curdlan in Me₂SO, flexible single chains corresponding to a disordered conformation were observed at a concentration of 5 mg/l, and the chain diameter was measured to be 0.65±0.05 nm, which showed good agreement with the expected value of the single polysaccharide chain. Because the concentration of curdlan increased, the chains became more rigid and aggregated, subsequently, the network structures of curdlan appeared. However, curdlan samples deposited from a 5 mM NaOH solution showed entirely different conformations. The chains observed were almost in the form of micelles of several nanometers, which were supermolecular assemblies. The heterogeneously dense zones were observed as the curdlan concentration increased to 40 mg/l. When the concentration of curdlan was above 100 mg/l, which might cause the real concentration of curdlan on the mica substrate after drying treatment exceeding some critical value of gelation, gel network structures were formed. Keeping on increasing the concentration of curdlan, the image showed a more homogeneous fibrous network.