ABSTRACT
The most plentiful organic substance in nature is cellulose, making up approximately one-third of the world’s vegetative matter. An estimated 1011 tons of cellulose is synthesized annually. Cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignins are the chief components of most land plants, providing structural support. Cellulose can be converted into hundreds of manufactured goods, which influence all phases of our everyday lives. Cellulose content in vegetative tissues varies: for example, wood includes ~40-50% and cotton 85-97%. Cellulose is a linear polymer of D-glucose monomers joined by β-D-1,4 linkages and arranged in repeating units of cellobiose, each composed of two anhydroglucoses. Every anhydroglucose encloses three hydroxyl groups, which are accessible for reaction. Cellulose has an extended molecular-chain length and the hydrogen-bonding ability of the three hydroxyl groups is particularly high. Spatially, the polymer is arranged in long thread-like molecules. These molecules align to shape fibers, many regions of which are highly ordered and have a crystalline structure as a result of lateral association by hydrogen bonding. These crystalline regions confer rigidity and strength.
