| Abstract: | Cellulose derivatives soluble in water and in dilute alkali were prepared by dissolving a bleached sulfite pulp in solutions of nitrogen dioxide in dimethylformamide (DMF) and heating at 70–90°C for 1–3 hr. No cellulose oxidation was detected. Nitrite esters and apparently also, nitrate esters, were formed with degrees of substitution (DS) ranging from 0.18 to 0.55 and with nitrogen contents ranging from 1.47 to 4.32%. Solution viscosities in water increased with increasing nitrogen content. The degree of polymerization (DP) decreased rapidly in the initial stages of the reaction followed by a slow, gradual decrease with increasing reaction times. |
