Oral presentation

9.4 Three-dimensional nanoscale reconstruction of  fibril organization in plant cell walls

Mathias Nero

PhD student

Stockholm University

Co-author(s):
Mathias Nero, Department of Chemistry, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
Mads Carlsen, Photon Science Division, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
Marianne Liebi, Photon Science Division, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland / Institute of Materials, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
Tom Willhammar, Department of Chemistry, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden

Native composite materials such as wood, exhibit complex fiber arrangements to enhance strength, flexibility, and functionality. This work presents a new method enabling three-dimensional (3D) characterization of crystalline fibril organization at the nanoscale using Scanning Electron Diffraction (SED), enabling analysis of beam-sensitive materials.SED utilizes a nanoscale electron beam, rapidly scanning the specimen while synchronously capturing diffraction patterns. While SED effectively provides quantitative mapping of the local crystalline organization[1], it is by nature providing 2D information. Herein, we introduce a method based on multiple 2D projections and an iterative algorithm for reconstructing three-dimensional fibril structures.Using this method, we have successfully mapped the hierarchical organization of cellulose nanofibrils in the cell walls of native birch and oat husk, including their helical fibril arrangements. In birch, we observe a two-layer structure with opposite helical orientations and the smooth transition in between. The outer S1 layer forms a left-handed helix, while the inner S2 layer assumes a right-handed configuration with a larger pitch. In contrast, oat husk exhibits a multilayered cell wall with alternating fibril handedness across layers (see Figure 1).This advancement in 3D characterization provides unique nanoscale insights into the hierarchical organization of fibrous biomaterials, paving the way for the next generation of bio-inspired materials with customized mechanical properties.

References:[1] Nero, M. et al. (2023). The Nanoscale Ordering of Cellulose in a Hierarchically Structured Hybrid Material Revealed Using Scanning Electron Diffraction. Small Methods. https://doi.org/10.1002/smtd.202301304.

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