Synthesis, Characterization, and Gas Permeation Properties

General Introduction
cellulose derivatives via esterification and etherification. Wood cellulose exists as a
native composite material with lignin and other polysaccharides seeking a passage
through chemical pulping, separation, and purification for the sake of isolation while
the seed hairs of cotton as another source of botanical origin offer an almost pure form
of cellulose.
Depending upon the origin and/or mode of synthesis, there are four different
pathways to access the most abundant natural polymeric material (Scheme 1) with
plants being the most prominent source as mentioned earlier. Apart from plants, the
second major source of cellulose also belongs to the natural habitat including bacteria,
algae, and fungi, producing cellulose forms with specific supramolecular architecture
employed as model substances for various research endeavors in the domains of
organic as well as polymer chemistry. The past few decades of investigation have
HO
HO
HO
plants/isolation
of cellulose
OH
OH
HO
O
HO
O
Scheme 1. Principle Pathways to Cellulose Formation
CO 2 + H 2 O
cellulase
O
O
HO
HO
OH
OH
HO
HO
O
O
biosynthesis
O
HO
2
OH
in-vitro synthesis
F
HO
O
HO
HO
OBn
OH
O
HO
O
HO
OH
HO
OH
bacteria, algae,
fungi
O O O
O
O
ring-opening polymerization/
deprotection
OBn
O