Synthesis, Characterization, and Gas Permeation Properties

General Introduction
has been directed towards the development of membrane materials whose gas
separation performance transcends the limits imposed by the upper bound. Despite
such a voluminous activity revealing the subtle mechanistic aspects of gas transport
and remarkably increasing commercial significance of environment-friendly and
cost-effective membrane separation technology, a few polymeric membranes could be
of industrial interest on account of the inherent drawbacks of low
permeability/selectivity, high cost, lack of endurance under high temperature, and
plasticization by the penetrant, etc.
Research Objectives
As demonstrated above, ethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, and hydroxypropyl
cellulose enjoying the remarkable attributes of chirality, thermal stability,
biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and low cost along with the marvelous peculiarity of
organosolubility reign the realm of cellulose chemistry on account of the most pivotal
synthetic, technical, and commercial significance. Hence, the present dissertation
highlights the derivatization of aforementioned organosoluble cellulosics
accomplishing the synthesis of novel functional cellulose derivatives via
etherfication/esterification/carbamoylation, and encompasses the elaborate elucidation
of structure, properties, and innovative frontiers of potential applications.
The substitution of residual hydroxy groups by specific functionalities of
varied chemical nature, size/bulk, and shape was envisaged to bear profound impact on
the structural characteristics and properties of the derivatized polymers. Therefore, a
variety of organic side groups like non polar and slightly bulky silyl moieties; various
lengths of hydrophobic perfluoroalkanoyl groups; polar, bulky, and almost spherical
amidoimide dendritic wedges; spherical and moderately polar carbamoyl pendants,
and biocompatible aminoalkanoyl functionalities of varied polarity were incorporated
into ethyl cellulose/cellulose acetate/hydroxypropyl cellulose, and considerable
transformation of properties was witnessed accompanying the alteration of polymeric
side chain structure regardless the presence of the same backbone.
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