Cellulose oligomer synthesis: Primer effects on structural characteristics in the cellodextrin phosphorylase-catalyzed reverse reaction

Abstract

The synthesis of cellulose oligomers catalyzed by cellodextrin phosphorylase (CDP) can easily yield microcrystals with functional groups exposed on their surfaces using glucose derivatives with various functional groups at the C1 position as primers. In this study, we examined and compared the effects of primers with various structures on the structural characteristics of the resulting synthetic products. The yield of the synthetic products positively correlated with the CDP activity toward the primer, whereas the degree of polymerization (DP) and molecular weight distribution showed an inverse correlation. However, deviations from these trends were observed, suggesting the influence of varying solubilities and crystallization behaviors due to the introduction of functional groups. The obtained microcrystals exhibited a primarily plate-like shape with a thickness increasing in proportion to the DP, resulting in larger plate-like crystals at higher DP values. These findings provide insights into strategies for controlling the structure of the resulting cellulose oligomers.