Cereal Chem 66:213-217   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Structure-Function Relationships of Alkaline Peroxide-Treated Lignocellulose from Wheat Straw.

J. M. Gould, B. K. Jasberg, and G. L. Cote. Copyright 1989 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Compared to wood pulp cellulose, alkaline hydrogen peroxide treated wheat straw becomes more extensively hydrated, increases more in size when hydrated, and contains a larger glucose accessible internal volume. These and other data are interpreted in terms of a model for alkaline hydrogen peroxide treated lignocellulose in which the residual, peroxide-resisant lignin that remains after treatment functions as a skeletal framework, preserving an open internal structure within the lignocellulosic matrix, allowing greater water penetration and more thorough hydration of cell wall polysaccharides.