• Login
    View Item 
    •   Home
    • Massey Documents by Type
    • Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    •   Home
    • Massey Documents by Type
    • Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Physical and chemical attachment of pectins to substrates : methods, characterisation and application : thesis presented by Abdenor Fellah for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Massey University, New Zealand & Fonterra, New Zealand

    Icon
    View/Open Full Text
    01_front.pdf (148.1Kb)
    02_whole.pdf (13.25Mb)
    Export to EndNote
    Abstract
    The plant cell wall is a complex biological matrix in which pectic polysaccharides play an instrumental role in regulating mechanical properties. Nanomechanical studies of single chains hold the promise of enabling the comprehension of fundamental aspects concerning the structural, mechanical and binding properties of pectin at an unprecedented level of molecular detail, using measured single polysaccharide force-extension behavior as a signature. However, before such promise can be fulfilled, a better understanding of the attachment of the polymer under study to the substrates between which it is stretched is required. Herein, chemoselective methodologies have been developed to covalently couple one end of a pectin chain onto a solid support. Prior to immobilization, pectin fine structure was investigated using accurate and non-invasive infrared spectroscopy. Comparison of experimental results with the predictions of quantum chemical calculations carried out using density functional theory confirmed this technique as an effective tool for the characterization of pectin fine structure. Subsequently, following appropriate functionalization of the support, pectin chains were anchored to polystyrene beads, specifically through their reducing end. These methods were shown to be efficient using IR spectroscopy, once more coupled with quantum chemical calculations, with the formation of specific newly introduced bonds being demonstrated. Finally, single-molecule force spectroscopy was used to stretch single pectin molecules covalently bonded to substrates using the previously described method applied to glass surfaces. Compared to physisorption, which was also extensively studied, tethering the pectin non-reducing end appeared to increase the average stretch length and improved significantly the probability of stretching a single chain to high forces.
    Date
    2012
    Author
    Fellah, Abdenor
    Rights
    The Author(s)
    Publisher
    Massey University
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10179/14968
    Collections
    • Theses and Dissertations
    Metadata
    Show full item record

    Copyright © Massey University
    | Contact Us | Feedback | Copyright Take Down Request | Massey University Privacy Statement
    DSpace software copyright © Duraspace
    v5.7-2020.1-beta1
     

     

    Tweets by @Massey_Research
    Information PagesContent PolicyDepositing content to MROCopyright and Access InformationDeposit LicenseDeposit License SummaryTheses FAQFile FormatsDoctoral Thesis Deposit

    Browse

    All of MROCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics

    Copyright © Massey University
    | Contact Us | Feedback | Copyright Take Down Request | Massey University Privacy Statement
    DSpace software copyright © Duraspace
    v5.7-2020.1-beta1