Juniper wood structure under the microscope.

CONCLUSIONS

The investigations confirm the physicochemical nature of the structure and self-assembly of wood substance and endorse its application in plant species. The characteristic morphological features, ultra-microstructure, and submolecular structure of coniferous wood matrix using junipers as the representative tree were investigated by scanning electron (SEM) and atomic-force microscopy (AFM). Novel results on the specific composition and cell wall structure features of the common juniper (Juniperus Communis L.) were obtained. These data confirm the possibility of considering the wood substance as a nanobiocomposite. The cellulose nanofibrils (20-50 nm) and globular-shaped lignin-carbohydrate structures (diameter of 5-60 nm) form the base of such a nanobiocomposite.