J. Phys. Chem. C

2015, 119,

The phenomenon of interfacial adsorption of cellulase to cellulose plays a significant role in its enzymatic conversion to a variety of biomaterials and biofuels. The crystallinity and surface areas are the key substrate characteristics that must be considered in its final conversion to soluble sugars. This research therefore characterized the crystallinity and surface areas of microcrystalline celluloses and hardwood pulps as a function of the interfacial activity of cellulase, and thereafter the effects of these two parameters on adsorption were modeled. The crystallinities were characterized by X-ray diffraction, while surface areas by laser scattering and Congo red adsorption. It was found that cellulase adsorption to cellulose follows a Langmuir model while statistical modeling showed that surface area, crystallinity, and their interactions were determined to be significant for cellulose adsorption over a temperature range of 4-50 degrees C.