Liquid-crystalline ordering in bacterial cellulose produced by Gluconacetobacter hansenii on glucose-containing media

This research is dedicated to the studies of the microscale morphology of bacterial cellulose (BC) obtained by means of static cultivation of Gluconacetobacter hansenii GH-1/2008. We found that the microscale morphology depended on the BC production rate that was varied by using different glucose concentrations in the cultivation medium. It was revealed that at higher production rates, BC fibrils were aligned in a liquid-crystalline-like (LC-like) order. The observed helical alignment was always left-handed. The half-periods of the helix varied from 50 mu m to 150 mu m depending on the cultivation conditions. The mechanical and water absorption properties of the obtained BC pellicles were measured. The former correlated mainly with the density of the samples; the latter were the best for films with layered structure, where the BC had segregated into fleece sheets separated by gaps with low density of fibrils.

Automated summary

This research investigates the microscale morphology of bacterial cellulose obtained through static cultivation. The study demonstrates that the morphology of the cellulose is influenced by the production rate, which can be controlled by adjusting the glucose concentration in the cultivation medium. It is found that at higher production rates, the cellulose fibrils exhibit a liquid-crystalline-like alignment with a left-handed helix structure. The mechanical properties of the obtained cellulose pellicles are mainly determined by their density, while the water absorption properties are best in films with a layered structure.