Abstract:Cellulose acetates with different degrees of substitution (DS, from 0.6 to 1.9) were prepared from previously mercerized linter cellulose, in a homogeneous medium, using N,N-dimethylacetamide/lithium chloride as a solvent system. The influence of different degrees of substitution on the properties of cellulose acetates was investigated using thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). Quantitative methods were applied to the thermogravimetric curves in order to determine the apparent activation energy (Ea) related to the thermal decomposition of untreated and mercerized celluloses and cellulose acetates. Ea values were calculated using Broido's method and considering dynamic conditions. Ea values of 158 and 187 kJ mol -1 were obtained for untreated and mercerized cellulose, respectively. A previous study showed that C6OH is the most reactive site for acetylation, probably due to the steric hindrance of C2 and C3. The C6OH takes part in the first step of cellulose decomposition, leading to the formation of levoglucosan and, when it is changed to C6OCOCH 3 , the results indicate that the mechanism of thermal decomposition changes to one with a lower Ea. A linear correlation between Ea and the DS of the acetates prepared in the present work was identified. Keywords: Linter cellulose, cellulose acetates, thermal decomposition. Decomposição Térmica de Celulose de Linter Mercerizado e seus Acetatos Obtidos a partir de Reação HomogêneaResumo: Acetatos de celulose com graus de substituição, GS, variando entre 0,6 e 1,9, foram preparados previamente a partir de celulose de linter mercerizado, em meio homogêneo, usando N,N-dimetilacetamida/cloreto de lítio como sistema de solvente. A influência de diferentes graus de substituição nas propriedades dos acetatos de celulose foi investigada usando a análise termogravimétrica (TGA). Métodos quantitativos foram aplicados nas curvas termogravimétricas obtidas a fim de determinar a energia de ativação aparente (Ea) relacionado à decomposição térmica de celulose não-tratada e mercerizada e acetatos de celulose. Valores de Ea foram calculados usando o método de Broido e considerando condições dinâmicas. Valores de Ea de 158 e 187 kJ mol -1 foram obtidos para a celulose não-tratada e mercerizada, respectivamente. Em trabalho anterior verificou-se que o C6OH é o sítio mais reativo na acetilação, provavelmente devido ao impedimento estérico de C2 e C3. O C6OH participa da primeira etapa de decomposição da celulose, levando à formação de levoglucosana e, quando se tem a substituição para C6OCOCH 3 , o resultado indica que o mecanismo de decomposição térmica muda para um com Ea menor. Uma correlação linear entre Ea e o GS dos acetatos preparados no presente trabalho foi identificada. Palavras-chave: Celulose de linter, acetatos de celulose, decomposição térmica.

This paper describes the results obtained on the preparation of films composed of linter cellulose and the corresponding acetates. The acetylation was carried out in the LiCl/DMAc solvent system. Films were prepared from a LiCl/DMAc solution of cellulose acetates (degree of substitution, DS 0.8–2.9) mixed with linter cellulose (5, 10 and 15 wt %). Detailed characterization of the films revealed the following: (i) they exhibited fibrous structures on their surfaces. The strong tendency of the linter cellulose chains to aggregate in LiCl/DMAc suggests that these fibrous elements consist of cellulose chains, as can be deduced from SEM images of the film of cellulose proper; (ii) the cellulose acetate films obtained from samples with DS 2.1 and 2.9 exhibited microspheres on the surface, whose formation seems to be favored for acetates with higher DS; (iii) AFM analysis showed that, in general, the presence of cellulose increased both the asperity thickness and the surface roughness of the analyzed films, indicating that cellulose chains are at least partially organized in domains and not molecularly dispersed between acetate chains; and (iv) the films prepared from cellulose and acetates exhibited lower hygroscopicity than the acetate films, also suggesting that the cellulose chains are organized into domains, probably due to strong intermolecular interactions. The linter and sisal acetates (the latter from a prior study), and their respective films, were prepared using the same processes; however, the two sets of films presented more differences (as in humidity absorption, optical, and tensile properties) than similarities (as in some morphological aspects), most likely due to the different properties of the starting materials. Potential applications of the films prepared in tissue engineering scaffold coatings and/or drug delivery are mentioned.

The acylation of three cellulose samples by acetic anhydride, Ac 2 O, in the solvent system LiCl/ N,N-dimethylacetamide, DMAc (4 h, 110°C), has been revisited in order to investigate the dependence of the reaction efficiency on the structural characteristics of cellulose, and its aggregation in solution. The cellulose samples employed included microcrystalline, MCC; mercerized cotton linters, M-cotton, and mercerized sisal, M-sisal. The reaction efficiency expresses the relationship between the degree of substitution, DS, of the ester obtained, and the molar ratio Ac 2 O/AGU (anhydroglucose unit of the biopolymer); 100% efficiency means obtaining DS = 3 at Ac 2 O/AGU = 3. For all celluloses, the dependence of DS on Ac 2 O/AGU is described by an exponential decay equation: DS = DS o -Ae -[(Ac2O/AGU)/B] ; (A) and (B) are regression coefficients, and DS o is the calculated maximum degree of substitution, achieved under the conditions of each experiment. Values of (B) are clearly dependent on the cellulose employed: B (M-cotton) [ B (M -sisal) [ B (MCC) ; they correlate qualitatively with the degree of polymerization of cellulose, and linearly with the aggregation number, N agg , of the dissolved biopolymer, as calculated from static light scattering measurements: (B) = 1.709 ? 0.034 N agg . To our knowledge, this is the first report on the latter correlation; it shows the importance of the physical state of dissolved cellulose, and serves to explain, in part, the need to use distinct reaction conditions for MCC and fibrous celluloses, in particular Ac 2 O/AGU, time, temperature.

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