Carbamoylation Applied for Structure Determination of Cellulose Derivatives

Carbamoylation of cellulose esters (CE) and investigation of the mixed derivatives obtained with NMR spectroscopy represents a useful analytical tool for the determination of the degree of substitution (DS) and analysis of the distribution of substituents on the level of the anhydroglucose unit (AGU). Especially the carbethoxymethylcarbamoylation and the ethylcarbamoylation of CE combined with ¹H NMR spectroscopy are efficient and inexpensive ways to gain information on the over-all DS and partial DS values in position 2, 3, and 6 of the AGU. Complete subsequent phenylcarbamoylation can be achieved even for CE with bulky substituents, e.g., adamantanecarboxylic acid esters. In addition to NMR experiments the carbamoylated CE were studied by HPLC after complete chain degradation. Carbethoxymethylcarbamoylation has turned out to be the most useful tool for this path. Chromatograms comparable to carboxymethylated cellulose (CMC) were obtained, which can be exploited to calculate the mole fractions of the basic building units (un-, mono-, di- and tri-substituted glucoses) of the polymer. Comparison with statistic calculations gave a first hint on the distribution of substituents along the polymer chain. For a commercial cellulose diacetate a statistic pattern of substitution was determined.     

Quantum mechanical calculations on cellulose–water interactions: structures,energetics, vibrational frequencies and NMR chemical shifts for surfaces of Iα and Iβ cellulose

Periodic and molecular cluster density functional theory calculations were performed on the Iα (001), Iα (021), Iβ (100), and Iβ (110) surfaces of cellulose with and without explicit H₂O molecules of hydration. The energy-minimized H-bonding structures, water adsorption energies, vibrational spectra, and ¹³C NMR chemical shifts are discussed. The H-bonded structures and water adsorption energies (ΔE_ads) are used to distinguish hydrophobic and hydrophilic cellulose–water interactions. O–H stretching vibrational modes are assigned for hydrated and dry cellulose surfaces. Calculations of the ¹³C NMR chemical shifts for the C4 and C6 surface atoms demonstrate that these δ¹³C4 and δ¹³C6 values can be upfield shifted from the bulk values as observed without rotation of the hydroxymethyl groups from the bulk tg conformation to the gt conformation as previously assumed.     

Click Chemistry with Polysaccharides

Summary: The copper‐catalyzed Huisgen reaction as a typical example of click chemistry was realized with the polysaccharide cellulose for the first time. The generality, selectivity, and the efficiency of click chemistry perfectly fit the requirements of polysaccharide modification, which is demonstrated by the introduction of triazole‐spacer bound functional groups, i.e., carboxylic ester, thiophene, and aniline moieties. Azide moieties introduced into cellulose via the tosyl derivative were simply transferred with ethynyl compounds under Cu(I) catalysis and mild and easily applicable conditions. Hydrolytically stable cellulose derivatives soluble in organic solvents, e.g., DMSO or DMF with DS up to 0.9 are obtained. The triazole substituted cellulose derivatives were characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies and show no impurities or substructures resulting from side reactions.

6‐Azido‐6‐deoxy cellulose.     

Configuration and conformation of methyl 2,3-anhydro-4-deoxy-pyranosides by 1H and 13C NMR spectra

¹³C NMR spectra of 24 methyl 2,3-anhydro-4-deoxy-pento and hexopyranosides have been obtained. ¹H NMR spectra were also recorded for comparison purposes. The ¹³C NMR data can be used for differentiation of the stereo-isomeric epoxide configuration. ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra give some insight, though still of qualitative nature, into conformation of epoxy compounds.     

Development of variance‐filtered instrumental transfer methods for high‐resolution NMR spectroscopy

The introduction of a variance‐filter to both direct standardization (DS) and piece‐wise direct standardization (PDS) instrumental transfer methods for the analysis of NMR spectral data is described. The variance‐filter modification allows for the identification of regions in the NMR spectra that are not adequately represented by the limited number of transfer calibration samples used during the calculation of the instrument‐to‐instrument transfer matrix. For these spectral frequencies, the corresponding portion of the transfer matrix is replaced by identity (or scaled identity) prior to the secondary instrumental data sets being transferred to the target instrument response. The spectral matching performance of the variance‐filtered instrumental transfer method as applied to high‐resolution ¹H NMR spectra is presented along with possible uses and limitations. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Accurate determination of the degree of substitution of long chain cellulose esters

The determination of the degree of substitution (DS) of fatty acid cellulose esters with alkyl chain lengths from C8 to C18 was performed by direct transesterification with trimethylsulphonium hydroxide (TMSH) using tert-butyl methyl ether (MTBE) as a solvent. Transesterification was demonstrated to be quantitative at 75 °C in 60 min. The quantification of the formed fatty acid methyl esters was performed by gas chromatography (GC). After the optimization of the method, long chain cellulose esters (LCCE) could be analyzed in a wide range of DS. The obtained values were compared to those given by other existing protocols. LCCE with DS-values in a range of 5 × 10⁻⁵ to 3 were analyzed with high accuracy. Reproducibility is weakened for high DS values if the sample has a compact aspect limiting the accessibility of TMSH to the ester functions. This method can also be suitable for the analysis of mixed cellulose esters.     

Phase transformations in microcrystalline cellulose due to partial dissolution

All-cellulose composites were prepared by partly dissolving microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) in an 8.0 wt% LiCl/DMAc solution, then regenerating the dissolved portion. Wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) and solid-state ¹³C NMR spectra were used to characterize molecular packing. The MCC was transformed to relatively slender crystallites of cellulose I in a matrix of paracrystalline and amorphous cellulose. Paracrystalline cellulose was distinguished from amorphous cellulose by a displaced and relatively narrow WAXS peak, by a 4 ppm displacement of the C-4 ¹³C NMR peak, and by values of T₂(H) closer to those for crystalline cellulose than disordered polysaccharides. Cellulose II was not formed in any of the composites studied. The ratio of cellulose to solvent was varied, with greatest consequent transformation observed for c < 15%, where c is the weight of cellulose expressed as % of the total weight of cellulose, LiCl and DMAc. The dissolution time was varied between 1 h and 48 h, with only small additional changes achieved by extension beyond 4 h.     

Seven-membered ring boronates at trans-diol moieties of carbohydrates

MS and ¹H, ¹³C and ¹¹B NMR results are presented revealing the formation of cyclic seven-membered boronate structures at trans-1,2-diol moieties of carbohydrates providing new opportunities for the activation, protection and analysis of glucopyranose-based oligomers and polymers such as cellulose or starch. ‘Coordination-induced shifts’ in ¹³C NMR spectra were identified for the esterification by boronic acids of carbohydrates, which can be applied for further studies.     

Preparation and characterization of cellulose β-ketoesters prepared by homogeneous reaction with alkylketene dimers: comparison with cellulose/fatty acid esters

Cellulose was dissolved in lithium chloride/1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone (LiCl/DMI), and reacted with alkylketene dimers (AKDs) under non-aqueous and homogeneous conditions to prepare cellulose/AKD β-ketoesters with high degrees of substitution (DS). Six AKDs synthesized from octanoic, decanoic, dodecanoic, tetradecanoic, hexadecanoic and octadecanoic acids via their fatty acid chlorides were used in this study. The cellulose/AKD β-ketoesters obtained were gummy solid at room temperature, and had DS values ranging from 1.9 to 2.9. Cellulose/fatty acid esters with DS 2.5–2.9 were also prepared as references. ¹³C-NMR spectra of the cellulose/AKD β-ketoesters showed that cellulose carbons and substituent carbons close to cellulose chains were restricted in motion and behaved like solid in solutions. In contrast, the cellulose/fatty acid esters did not demonstrate such anomalous ¹³C-NMR spectra. The unique ¹³C-NMR patterns are characteristic for the cellulose/AKD β-ketoesters, which have long and branched alkyl substituents in each anhydroglucose unit. Size-exclusion chromatography furnished with multi-angle laser light scattering (SEC-MALLS) revealed, on the other hand, that all cellulose/AKD β-ketoesters and cellulose/fatty acid esters prepared had flexible or random-coil conformations in tetrahydrofuran (THF). There were no clear differences in conformation or stiffness of cellulose chains between cellulose/AKD β-ketoesters and cellulose/fatty acid esters.     

Synthesis and properties of O‐2‐[2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]acetyl cellulose

In this article, a series of O‐2‐[2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]acetyl celluloses with different degree of substitution (DS) values was synthesized by a homogeneous reaction of cellulose with 2‐[2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]acetyl chloride in a 10% (w/w) dimethylacetamide/lithium chloride solution, combined with pyridine as the acid acceptor. The total DS values of the derivatives in anhydroglucose units was determined by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra, and ranged from 0.4 to 3.0, depending on the amount of acid chloride in the reaction. The effects of the total DS values and the O‐2‐[2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]acetyl substituent distribution on the solubility of the derivatives were investigated. The lowest limit of the DS value for water‐soluble O‐2‐[2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]acetyl cellulose was approximately 0.5, which is lower than that of methylcellulose. The amphiphilic derivatives with higher DS values than 1.7 exhibited a good solubility in both water and organic solvents, such as dimethyl sulfoxide, tetrahydrofuran, and chloroform. Sol‐gel transition in aqueous solution was observed for the amphiphilic derivatives with a higher DS value than 1.7; the precipitation temperature (T_p) decreased as the DS value increased, showing that the derivatives are highly temperature sensitive. The thermal properties of the fully substituted derivative were measured using polarized microscopy, DSC, and X‐ray diffraction; and are discussed in terms of phase transition of the sample derivatives. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 376–382, 2001     

7Li NMR as probe for solvent–cellulose interactions in cellulose dissolution

Molten salt hydrates proved to be alternative solvents to cellulose. Toinvestigate the reasons for this dissolving ability, information about thesolvent–cellulose interactions is essential. As well as ¹³CHR NMR, ⁷Li NMR was used to obtain further insight into thisproblem.After comparing several molten salt hydrates, the ⁷Li NMR spectrarevealed a smaller shielding of the lithium cation for not dissolving than fordissolving and swelling cellulose systems. In most solvent systems theshieldingat the ⁷Li nuclei increases with the cellulose concentration. 2D⁷Li-¹H HOESY NMR was successfully applied to verify thepresence of cellobiose, used as a model compound for cellulose, in the firstco-ordination sphere of the lithium cation.     

Synthesis of novel adamantoyl cellulose using differently activated carboxylic acid derivatives

New adamantane carboxylic acid esters of cellulose (adamantoylcelluloses) were synthesized homogeneously inN,N-dimethylacetamide/LiCl using differently activatedcarboxylic acid derivatives. This includes the reaction of cellulose with1-adamantoyl chloride and with adamantane-1-carboxylic acid after insitu activation with p-toluenesulfonyl chlorideand with 1,1-carbonyldiimidazole, which is a new and efficient tool. Thedegree of substitution (DS) has been determined by means of ¹H NMRspectroscopy using the perpropionylated adamantoyl cellulose samples. DS valuesas high as 2.1 were achieved. The reaction efficiency was 85% and the DS can becontrolled by the molar ratio and the reaction conditions applied. The reactionoccurs faster at the primary position compared to the secondary ones. Theproducts are soluble in various organic solvents dependent on the DS.Preliminary results of subsequent modifications and properties of theadamantoylcelluloses are discussed as well.     

Modified cyanate ester resins with lower dielectric loss,improved thermal stability,and flame retardancy

Novel modified cyanate ester (CE) resins with decreased dielectric loss, improved thermal stability, and flame retardancy were developed by copolymerizing CE with hyperbranched phenyl polysiloxane (HBPPSi). HBPPSi was synthesized through the hydrolysis of phenyltrimethoxysilane, and its structure was characterized by ¹H‐NMR, ²⁹Si‐NMR, and Fourier transform infrared spectra. The effect of the incorporation of HBPPSi into CE resin on the curing behavior, chemical structure of cured networks, and typical performance of HBPPSi/CE resins were systemically evaluated. It is found that the incorporation of HBPPSi into CE network obviously not only catalyzes the curing of CE, but also changes the chemical structure of resultant networks, and thus results in significantly decreased dielectric loss, improved thermal stability, and flame retardancy as well as water absorption resistance. For example, in the case of the modified CE resin with 10 wt% HBPPSi, its limited oxygen index is about 36.0, about 1.3 times of that of neat CE resin, its char yield at 800°C increases from 31.6 to 35.4 wt%; in addition, its dielectric loss is only about 61% of that of neat CE resin at 1 kHz. All these changes of properties are discussed from the view of the structure–property relationship. The significantly improved integrated properties of CE resin provide a great potential to be used as structural and functional materials for many cutting‐edges fields. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Substituent Distribution of Cyanoethyl Cellulose

Estimation of the substitution distribution for cyanoethyl cellulose was carried out by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopic analyses after the additional acetylation. Based on the complemental function of cyanoethyl and acetyl substituents, the degree of substitution (DS) of cyanoethyl groups could be calculated from the ratios of the ¹H integrated intensities in acetyl methyl ( 1.8–2.1) and cyanoethyl methylene ( 2.6–2.9) protons, and also from the corresponding ratios for acetyl methyl carbon signals ( 19.7–21.3) and cyanoethyl methylene carbon signals ( 17.5–19.0). Good agreement was obtained between the DS values obtained from the NMR spectroscopic analyses and those determined by the conventional nitrogen content method, indicating the validity of the NMR method used. In addition, the NMR method was found to be effective in determining the positional substituent distribution by the quantitative analysis of the three cyan carbon signals ( 118–120).     

Synthesis and Characterization of Cellulose Triacetate Obtained from Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Trunk Mesh-Derived Cellulose

Cellulosic polysaccharides have increasingly been recognized as a viable substitute for the depleting petro-based feedstock due to numerous modification options for obtaining a plethora of bio-based materials. In this study, cellulose triacetate was synthesized from pure cellulose obtained from the waste lignocellulosic part of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.). To achieve a degree of substitution (DS) of the hydroxyl group of 2.9, a heterogeneous acetylation reaction was carried out with acetic anhydride as an acetyl donor. The obtained cellulose ester was compared with a commercially available derivative and characterized using various analytical methods. This cellulose triacetate contains approximately 43.9% acetyl and has a molecular weight of 205,102 g·mol⁻¹. The maximum thermal decomposition temperature of acetate was found to be 380 °C, similar to that of a reference sample. Thus, the synthesized ester derivate can be suitable for fabricating biodegradable and “all cellulose” biocomposite systems.     

Cold NaOH/urea aqueous dissolved cellulose for benzylation: Synthesis and characterization

Cold NaOH/urea aqueous dissolved cellulose was studied for the synthesis of benzyl cellulose by etherification with benzyl chloride. By varying the molar ratios of benzyl chloride to OH groups in cellulose (1.5–4.0) and reaction temperatures (65–70 °C), benzyl cellulose with a degree of substitutions (DS) in the range of 0.29–0.54 was successfully prepared under such mild conditions. The incorporation of benzyl groups into cellulose was evidenced by multiple spectroscopies, including FT IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, CP/MAS ¹³C NMR and XRD. In addition, the thermal stability and surface morphology of the benzyl cellulose was also investigated with regard to the degree of substitution. The results indicated that the benzyl cellulose product with a low DS (0.51) in the present study reached the same solubility in many organic solvents as compared to those prepared in heterogeneous media. After benzylation, the sample decomposed at a lower temperature with a wider temperature range, which indicated that the thermal stability of benzyl cellulose was lower than that of the native cellulose. In addition, benzylation resulted in a pronounced reduction in crystallinity as well as a fundamental alteration of morphology of the native cellulose.     

Homogenous esterification of cellulose pulp in [DBNH][OAc]

Cellulose acetate is widely used in films, filters, textiles, lacquer and cosmetic products. Herein we demonstrate the production of cellulose esters under homogeneous conditions using 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene acetate ([DBNH][OAc]) as solvent. The reagents have been chosen such that the system is recyclable, i.e. by-products are low boiling and easy to remove. It is demonstrated that cellulose acetate can be synthesized with different degree of substitution (DS) values, and that some commonly used acylation regents, like vinyl carboxylates react well without additional base catalyst. Low to high DS values are possible with good recovery of high purity ionic liquid (IL). A linear correlation method of two separate methods, IR and ³¹P NMR, is proposed to reliably assess the DS of the products. The recyclability of the solvent is demonstrated by acetylating cellulose with isopropenyl acetate to high degree and regeneration into water. After regeneration of cellulose acetate from the IL with addition of water, the residual water was entrained using n-butanol to minimize hydrolysis of [DBNH][OAc], to allow for high recovery and high purity of the ionic liquid. Thus, an overall scheme for batch cellulose acetylation and recovery of [DBNH][OAc] from aqueous solutions is proposed.     

FICA,a new chiral derivatizing agent for determining the absolute configuration of secondary alcohols by 19F and 1H NMR spectroscopies

Optically active 1-fluoroindan-1-carboxylic acid (FICA) was designed and prepared as its methyl ester for determining the absolute configuration of chiral molecules by both ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopies. Enantiomerically pure isomers of FICA methyl esters (FICA Me esters) were obtained by chromatographic separation using HPLC with a Daicel Chiralcel OJ-H column. The absolute configuration of the (+)-FICA Me ester was deduced to be (S) by X-ray crystallographic analysis of the (+)-FICA amide of (R)-α-phenethylamine. Both enantiomers were derived to the diastereomeric esters of chiral secondary alcohols by an ester exchange reaction. In the ¹H NMR spectra, the signs of Δδ_H (δ_R ? δ_S) were consistent on each side of the FICA molecular plane. Therefore, the concept of the modified Mosher’s method could be successfully applied to the FICA-based procedure. Moreover, the consistency in the signs of Δδ_F (δ_R ? δ_S) values suggests that the FICA method would be reliable in assigning the absolute configurations of secondary alcohols based on ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy.     

Syntheses and characterizations of allyl cellulose and glycidyl cellulose

Allyl cellulose was synthesized by reacting cellulose with allyl bromide in homogeneous LiCl/DMAc solution containing NaOH powder. The degree of substitution (DS) per anhydroglucose (AHG) unit was determined by titrating the allyl cellulose with bromine in chloroform solution, and an allyl DS of 2.80 was found. Glycidyl cellulose was then prepared by reacting this allyl cellulose with peracetic acid in methylene chloride at ambient temperature for 6 days. The measured reaction rate constant was 1.33 × 10^?3 min^?1. The glycidyl cellulose thus obtained with a glycidyl DS of 2.58 was determined by titrating the product with perchloric acid in conjunction with tetrabutylammonium iodide. The 2.58 of glycidyl DS was also confirmed by ¹H-NMR integration. Both allyl cellulose and glycidyl cellulose were analyzed and characterized with FTIR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, TGA, and GPC. During epoxidation of allyl cellulose, possible side reaction leading to ester formation was evidenced from the continuous increase of v_{C? O} at 1735 cm^?1 in FTIR analyses. In addition, a bimodal distribution and a decreased molecular weight for glycidyl cellulose were found from GPC data, which might suggest a possible chain scission at the cellulosic ether linkage. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

NMR spectroscopic study of 3-nitrofurazans

3-Nitrofurazans with different substituents at position 4 were studied by ¹H, ¹³C, and ¹⁴N NMR spectroscopy. A correlation between chemical shifts (CS) in the ¹³C NMR spectra of furazans and benzene with similar substituents was revealed. Increments for a series of new substituents were determined. The ¹³C and ¹⁴N CS values presented can be used as a reliable set of reference data.