Synthesis, Characterization, and Gas Permeation Properties

General Introduction
chemistry offering the most distinct and momentous applications of commercial and
technical significance. Cellulose esters have found a variety of applications as
classical material-coatings and controlled-release systems while recent developments
include enteric coatings, hydrophobic matrices, and semipermeable membranes for
applications in pharmacy, agriculture, and cosmetics. Furthermore, to serve the quest
for high-performance materials based on renewable resources, cellulose esters are
being widely employed as binders, fillers, and laminate layers in composites and
laminates, as excellent material for photographic films, and as membrane-forming
materials serving for gas separation, water purification, food and beverage processing,
medicinal and bioscientific applications. 11 On the other hand, cellulose ethers on
account of good solubility, high chemical resistance, and non-toxic nature are being
utilized in drilling technology and building materials, as additives for drilling fluids to
provide consistency control and to control the rheology and processing of plaster
systems, and function as stabilizers in food, and constitute the principle ingredients of
pharmaceutical and cosmetics formulations as well. 12
Recently, there has been an intense interest to exploit the biocompatibility,
biodegradability, and chirality of naturally occurring renewable sources of polymeric
materials. The past few years have witnessed an extensive research activity to
elucidate the new ways of synthesis and to unveil the unique properties of
cellulose-based materials expected to find a myriad of applications as liquid crystalline
materials, 13 as biomaterials, 14 in enantioselective separation, 15 as composites with
synthetic as well as biopolymers, 16 for the immobilization of proteins, 17 antibodies, 18
and heparin, 19 as adsorbents for the extracorporeal blood purification, 20 and in
medicines and cosmetics. 21
Membranes for Gas Separation
Membrane separation technology has emerged into a new era of advanced
functional materials owing to its exquisite separation principle of selective transport
and unique features of isothermal operation, facile integration, and low energy
6