Visualization of Cellulose Structures with Cesium Labeling and Cryo-STEM

Thumbnail Image

Files

Visualization_of_Cellulose_Structures_with_Cesium_Labeling.pdf (4.5 MB)

Access rights

openAccess
CC BY
publishedVersion

URL

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä
This publication is imported from Aalto University research portal.
View publication in the Research portal (opens in new window)
View/Open full text file from the Research portal (opens in new window)
Unless otherwise stated, all rights belong to the author. You may download, display and print this publication for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.

Authors

Date

2025-06-26

Department

Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

Language

en

Pages

9

Series

Small, Volume 21, issue 25

Abstract

Cellulose, a pivotal component of plant cell walls, is a widely studied biologically derived material with vast potential for numerous applications. However, visualizing the arrangement of individual cellulose molecules within hierarchical structures with electron microscopy has proven challenging due to the material's low contrast and high beam sensitivity. In this study, a novel approach is introduced that combines labeling of cellulose functional groups with high-contrast cesium counter cations (Cs+) in conjunction with atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) in annular dark-field (ADF) mode at cryogenic temperatures. This technique allows for the identification of individual sulfate groups attached to cellulose chains within cellulose nanocrystal hierarchies at Ångström resolution. Systematic comparison of experimentally obtained interatomic Cs+ distances with simulations potentially enables the localization of the labeled functional groups at the macromolecular level. The method has the potential to elucidate the polymer chain arrangements in nanoscale soft materials.

Description

Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Small published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.

Keywords

cellulose nanocrystals, cellulose ultrastructure, cesium labeling, cryo-scanning transmission electron microscopy

Other note

DOI

10.1002/smll.202500351

Citation

Knez, D, Petschacher, P, Wiltsche, H, Putaux, J-L, Nishiyama, Y, Ogawa, Y, Kothleitner, G, Nypelö, T & Spirk, S 2025, 'Visualization of Cellulose Structures with Cesium Labeling and Cryo-STEM', Small, vol. 21, no. 25, 2500351. https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202500351

Permanent link to this item

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202508045659

Collections

[article-cris] Kemian tekniikan korkeakoulu / CHEM