Local Crystallinity in Twisted Cellulose Nanofibers

Cellulose is crystallized by plants and other organisms into fibrous nanocrystals. The mechanical properties of these nanofibers the formation helical superstructures with energy dissipating adaptive optical depend on ordering polysaccharide chains within nanocrystals, which typically measured in bulk average. Direct measurement local chain arrangement has been elusive. In this study, we use emerging technique scanning electron diffraction to probe packing across cellulose reveal twisting sections nanofibers. We then atomic force microscopy shed light size dependence inherent driving for nanofiber twisting. direct crystalline twisted regions important implications understanding single-cellulose-fibril that influence interactions between nanocrystals dense assemblies. This may enable extraction separation processes be tailored optimized.