Oxidized cellulose—Survey of the most recent achievements

► The recent advances on selective oxidation of cellulose are described. ► TEMPO oxidation of cellulose, occurs mainly at primary OH groups. ► Non persistent nitroxyl radicals are efficient and selective mediators for cellulose oxidation. ► Development of new ecologically friendly protocols for the oxidation of polysaccharides are required. The functionalization and particularly the oxidation of cellulose is an intriguing and challenging topic due to the presence of multiple reactive sites, which can undergo specific reactions. The variety of the oxidizing agents used to improve the selectivity and yields of these transformations is illustrated by the steadily growing of the number of publications and patents reported. This paper is focused on the most selective agents for cellulose oxidations, i.e., sodium periodate and stable or non persistent nitroxyl radicals, emphasizing on the most recent developments reported so far.