Lynne H. Thomas

TL;DR: The structure of the microfibrils of spruce wood cellulose was investigated using a range of spectroscopic methods coupled to small-angle neutron and wide-angle X-ray scattering, showing high levels of conformational disorder at C-6, less intramolecular hydrogen bonding and more outward-directed hydrogen bonding.

TL;DR: Using a combination of x-ray and neutron scattering methods with vibrational and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, it is shown that celery collenchyma microfibrils were 2.9 to 3.0 nm in mean diameter, with a most probable structure containing 24 chains in cross section, arranged in eight hydrogen-bonded sheets of three chains, with extensive disorder in lateral packing, conformation, and hydrogen bonding.

TL;DR: Using infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, it is shown that mechanical tension straightens out the zigzag conformation of the cellulose chain, with each glucose unit pivoting around a fulcrum at either end.

TL;DR: The synthesis and characterisation of a series of Zr(IV) 2,2'-bipyrrolidine-salan derived complexes are reported and their exploitation for the ring opening polymerisation of rac-lactide to afford highly isotactically enriched polymers is reported.

TL;DR: A series complexes based on 2,2′-bipyrrolidine based salan ligands have been prepared and either isotactic or heterotactic PLA has been prepared.