Research Information System
in: Sustainable Cellulose Materials for Biomedical Applications, Rishabha Malviya,Sonali Sundram, Editor, Springer, London/Berlin , Singapore, pp.1-40, 2025
Cellulose is a natural polymer and is modified with chemical agents to obtain cellulose derivatives used in various industrial applications. These modifications make cellulose more functional by changing its physical and chemical properties. The main reactions used to derivatize cellulose are as follows:Acetylation, that is modification of cellulosewith acetyl groups, produces cellulose acetate. This process increases thewater solubility of cellulose and gives it biodegradable properties. Thus,
cellulose acetate stands out as an environmentally friendly material. It is generally used in coating and film production. Carboxymethylation, which is the modification of cellulose with carboxymethyl groups, produces carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC),
which is water-soluble and used as a stabilizer and thickener in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. CMC prevents the formation of ice crystals in frozen products and increases the volume of baked goods. In the esterification reaction, cellulose is esterified with various acids, increasing the stress–strain properties and water resistance of cellulose. Cellulose derivatives obtained as a result of chemical modifications are applied in a wide range of pharmaceutical formulations, cosmetic products and biomedical applications.Chemicalmodification of cellulose derivatives increases the functionality of this natural polymer, allowing it an important role in modern industries with both environmentally friendly and functional properties. In addition to the derivatives mentioned here, other derivatives have also found a place in various applications. In this section, in addition to the chemical modifications applied to the products production of cellulose derivatives, biomedical applications in which these derivatives are used are also included.