Synthesis of cellulose triacetate from cotton cellulose by using NIS as a catalyst under mild reaction conditions

This research discusses the acetylation of cotton cellulose with acetic anhydride without solvents. The acetylation was done in the presence of different amounts of N-Iodosuccinimide (NIS) as a catalyst; this took place under mild reaction conditions. The extent of acetylation was measured by the weight percent gain (WPG) that varied from 24.71 to 71.83%. Cotton cellulose acetates, with the degree of substitution (DS) that ranged from 0.89 to 2.84, were prepared in one step. The cellulose triacetate, with a degree of substitution (DS) 2.84, was obtained. The WPG and DS were easily controlled by changing the reaction duration (1–5 h), and the concentration of the catalyst (0.05 g, 0.075 g and 0.10 g for 1 g of cellulose) in 25 ml of acetic anhydride. NIS was recognized as a novel and more successful catalyst for the acetylation of hydroxyl groups in cotton cellulose. Formation of the acetates and the calculation of the degree of substitution were performed by FT-IR, Raman, and 1H NMR.