From the assignment of the solid-state (13)C NMR signals in the C4 region, distinct types of crystalline cellulose, cellulose at crystalline surfaces, and disordered cellulose can be identified and quantified. For regenerated cellulose, complete (13)C assignments of the other carbon regions have not previously been attainable, due to signal overlap. In this study, two-dimensional (2D) NMR correlation methods were used to resolve and assign (13)C signals for all carbon atoms in regenerated cellulose. (13)C-enriched bacterial nanocellulose was biosynthesized, dissolved, and coagulated as highly crystalline cellulose II. Specifically, four distinct (13)C signals were observed corresponding to conformationally different anhydroglucose units: two signals assigned to crystalline moieties and two signals assigned to non-crystalline species. The C1, C4 and C6 regions for cellulose II were fully examined by global spectral deconvolution, which yielded qualitative trends of the relative populations of the different cellulose moieties, as a function of wetting and drying treatments.

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We have found that the dissolution of cellulose in the binary mixed solvent tetrabutylammonium acetate/dimethyl sulfoxide follows a previously overlooked near-stoichiometric relationship such that one dissolved acetate ion is able to dissolve an amount of cellulose corresponding to about one glucose residue. The structure and dynamics of the resulting cellulose solutions were investigated using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques as well as molecular dynamics simulation. This yielded a detailed picture of the dissolution mechanism in which acetate ions form hydrogen bonds to cellulose and causes a diffuse solvation sheath of bulky tetrabutylammonium counterions to form. In turn, this leads to a steric repulsion that helps to keep the cellulose chains apart. Structural similarities to previously investigated cellulose solutions in aqueous tetrabutylammonium hydroxide were revealed by SAXS measurement. To what extent this corresponds to similarities in dissolution mechanism is discussed.