ABSTRACT
In this work, a controlled destruction of cellulose in formic acid catalyzed by phosphotungstic acid (concentration 1.0-0.1 mol.%, reaction time 1-15 min) was demonstrated. Resulting powder products were obtained with a degree of polymerization of 140-270. The degradation of the polysaccharide is followed by total or partial esterification of formic acid and obtained cellulose formate (CF) having a degree of substitution of 0.8-2.2. The synthesized CFs are soluble in organic solvents and are used for sulfation by aminosulfonic acid in a homogeneous medium. Water- soluble cellulose sulfates with a degree of substitution above 2.0 were prepared. The transformation products of cellulose have been studied using chemical analysis, FTIR, NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and SEM.
