Cellulose derivatives from cellulosic material isolated from Agave lechuguilla and fourcroydes

摘要

Fibers isolated from Agave lechuguilla (lechuguilla) and fourcroydes (henequen) contain about 80% cellulose, 5% hemicellulose and 15% lignin. They are a renewable resource, interesting as feedstock for new products obtained by chemical functionalization. In the present paper the reactivity of such fibrous materials under typical conditions for modification of cellulose was studied. Treatment with n-octanol/aqueous NaOH of the fibers leads to an activated expanded gel-like material with enhanced accessibility. Carboxymethylation, sulfation, acetylation and tritylation reactions as well as subsequent carboxymethylation of the trityl derivative and selective oxidation of the primary hydroxyl function of carboxymethylated products with TEMPO/NaBr/NaClO were successfully carried out under conditions typical for cellulose reactions. The products were characterized by means of ~(13)C-NMR and ~1H-NMR spectroscopy and HPLC after complete depolymerization, by GPC, and by the determination of solubility.