THE LITHIUM CHLORIDE/DIMETHYLACETAMIDE SOLVENT FOR CELLULOSE: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Cellulose or poly(1·4)-β-D-D-glucose is the most abundant, renewable organic raw material [1]. The molocular structure (Fig. 1) consists of cellobiose repeating units which allow chain-packing by intermolecular [2] and intramolecular [3] hydrogen-bonding. Such strong interactions are responsible for excellent inherent mechanical properties, yet at the same time, interfere with efforts to process or modify the material. Only in a few instances have cellulose derivatives been exploited commercially and certainly not to the extent predicted from raw material availability and cost. Controllable, uniform derivatization has been hampered by the lack of suitable, nondegrading solvents or by a limited range of synthetic reactions within these solvents.