Radiation Damage and Hydrogen Bonding in Cotton Cellulose

Extensive measurements have been carried out on different cellulose cell forms comprising, infrared and electronic absorption spectra both before and after exposure to an absorbed energetic γ-ray dose (5.0 x 10 7 rd). The different cellulosics were chosen as representatives of polysaccharides. They have intermolecular and or intramolecular hydrogen bonding of variant origin. An examination of the irradiated samples provided some differences in relation with the nature and origin of hydrogen bonding and the per cent of the disordered fraction of cellulose. Furthermore a suggested interaction mechanism of γ-absorbed dose with cellulose was established.