Structural reorganization of molecular sheets derived from cellulose II by molecular dynamics simulations

We investigated structural reorganization of two different kinds of molecular sheets derived from the cellulose II crystal using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, in order to identify the initial structure of the cellulose crystal in the course of its regeneration process from solution. After a one-nanosecond simulation, the molecular sheet formed by van der Waals forces along the () crystal plane did not change its structure in an aqueous environment, while the other one formed by hydrogen bonds along the (1 1 0) crystal plane changed into a van der Waals-associated molecular sheet, such as the former. The two structures that were calculated showed substantial similarities such as the high occupancy of intramolecular hydrogen bonds between O3^H and O5 of over 0.75, few intermolecular hydrogen bonds, and the high occurrence of hydrogen bonding with water. The convergence of the two structures into one denotes that the van der Waals-associated molecular sheet can be the initial structure of the cellulose crystal formed in solution. The main chain conformations were almost the same as those in the cellulose II crystal except for a −16° shift of φ (dihedral angle of O5-C1-O1-C4) and the gauche-gauche conformation of the hydroxymethyl side group appears probably due to its hydrogen bonding with water. These results suggest that the van der Waals-associated molecular sheet becomes stable in an aqueous environment with its hydrophobic inside and hydrophilic periphery. Contrary to this, a benzene environment preferred a hydrogen-bonded molecular sheet, which is expected to be the initial structure formed in benzene.