Phase-transfer method synthesis hydroxyethyl cellulose lauryl ether

Abstract This article provided a phase-transfer method to synthesize hydrophobic modify HEC with 1-bromododecane (1-BD). The synthesis of hydroxyethyl cellulose lauryl ether (HECLE) by an etherification reaction between hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) and 1-bromododecane (1-BD) using water and tetramethylene oxide as the solvent and tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) as the phase transfer agent. A series of HECLEs with different substitution degrees were obtained by changing reaction temperature and the volume ratio of HEC aqueous solution to tetramethylene oxide. The molecular structures of obtained HECLEs were confirmed by FT-IR and H NMR. And the properties of HECLEs were tested by particle size analysis, rheological testing and pyrene probe method. HECLEs with DS range of 0.21–1.95 showed typical properties of amphiphilic polymers and self-assembled into aggregates in aqueous solution because of hydrophobic interaction. The sizes of aggregates and critical aggregate concentrations (CAC) were found correlated with the molecular structure of polymers, and were varied in the range of 2–4 μm and 0.019–0.088 mg/ml, respectively. Furthermore, the apparent viscosity under low shear and thickening nature of HECLEs with modification by moderately grafting lauryl group were increased in contrast with native HEC. Therefore, HECLEs can be applied as hydrophobic active compounds for coating, and in many areas.