4-Nitrophenyl β-D-cellotetraoside is small molecule cellulose mimic that consists of a tetramer of D-glucose units joined by β-1-4-glycosidic bonds. An aglycosidic bond links a 4-nitrophenyl moiety to the anomeric carbon of the first glucose unit. 4-Nitrophenyl β-D-cellotetraoside is employed in cellulose degradation studies to determine the specificity of cellulases. The defined, small, and soluble structure of 4-nitrophenyl β-D-cellotetraoside makes it well suited for these studies. Its fragmentation pattern after enzymatic digestion can be analyzed by TLC or by release of 4-nitrophenol which exhibits strong absorbance at 395 nm in alkaline solution.
