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Modified biopolymers: aspects of cellulose derivatization under homogeneous reaction conditions

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Author(s):
Ludmila de Carvalho Fidale
Total Authors: 1
Document type: Doctoral Thesis
Press: São Paulo.
Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Conjunto das Químicas (IQ e FCF) (CQ/DBDCQ)
Defense date:
Examining board members:
Omar A El Seoud; Elizabeth Pinheiro Gomes Areas; Denise Freitas Siqueira Petri; Ludmila de Araújo Ramos; Maria Elisabete Darbello Zaniquelli
Advisor: Omar A El Seoud
Abstract

The objective of this thesis is to study some aspects of the derivatization of cellulose under homogeneous reaction conditions. The three steps of this reaction scheme (activation, dissolution and derivatization) were studied, with emphasis on the relationship between the biopolymer structure, the conditions of the reaction and the properties of the products. Swelling of different celluloses (microcrystalline (MC), cotton linter, eucalyptus, cotton linter mercerized, eucalyptus mercerized) by protic and aprotic solvents was determined. The results were correlated with a series of solvent descriptors. For protics solvents, although native and mercerized celluloses are sensitive to the same set of four solvent properties (acidity, basicity, dipolarity/polarizability, and molar volume), the relative contributions are different; π* is most important for MC and native celluloses, VS is most important for mercerized celluloses. Because of absence of hydrogen-bon donation by aprotics solvents, a smaller number of solvent descriptors is required in order to describe cellulose swelling. For example, the swelling of mercerized cellulose can be reasonably described by a single descriptor (dipolarity/polarizability). The effect of mercerization on cellulose properties was investigated; it leads to: increase of α-cellulose content; decrease of Ic; decrease of fiber cross section, smoothing of its surface, and increase of its surface area. The ionic liquid 1-allyl-3-(1-butyl)imidazolium chloride showed to be a convenient reaction medium for the dissolution and derivatization of cellulose, with reproducible easily controlled degree of substitution, DS. The physical integrity of the cellulose is maintained during dissolution by using either \"conventional\" or convection-, or microwave heating. Compared with the former, MW irradiation has resulted in considerable decrease in dissolution- and reaction times. The value DS was found to be DSethanoate > DSpropanoate > DSbutanoate. The values of DSpentanoate and DShexanoate were found to be slightly higher than DSethanoate. The dependence of the properties of cellulose acetates and their films on the degree of biopolymer substitution was investigated. Solvatochromic probes and thermal analysis have been employed. The results showed that the dependence of the properties (solvatochromic parameters and thermal properties) of CAs on their DS can be described by simple equations; a consequence of the substitution of the OH by the ester group. Finally, an expedient, accurate method for the determination of the degree of substitution of cellulose carboxylic esters (ethanoate, butanoate and hexanoate) was developed, using Uv-vis spectroscopy (dye perichromism) (AU)