Illustrating Structure–Properties Relationships with Interlocking Building Block Models

In this paper, interlocking building block models are used to illustrate the structure–properties relationships of amylopectin, amylose, and cellulose. The characteristic primary structures of amylopectin, amylose, and cellulose are a highly blanched helical chain, a linear helical chain, and a linear zigzag chain, respectively. The differences in structures lead to their distinctive properties that people encounter in their daily lives. For example, the difference in stickiness between sticky rice and fluffy rice is attributable to the ratio of amylopectin and amylose in their starch. The hardness of wood is ascribable to the rigid structure of cellulose. The key issues related to structure can be distilled into interlocking building block models. With the use of these models, instructors can explain the characteristic properties related to the chain structures of amylopectin, amylose, and cellulose, including stickiness, molecular inclusion and strength.