Advances in cellulose chemistry - Microwave-assisted synthesis of propargylcellulose in aqueous medium

A fast and simple reaction activated by microwave irradiation permits the “green synthesis” of propargylcellulose in an aqueous alkaline medium. The influence of several reaction parameters such as amount of propargyl bromide, reaction time or microwave activation on the reaction efficiency are reported herein. The propargylcellulose samples obtained, with degrees of substitution (DS) from 0.35 to 1.88, were characterised by means of FTIR and NMR spectroscopy.