Synthesis and Characterization of Hydroxypropyl Cellulose from Bacterial Cellulose

Bacterial cellulose produced by Acetobacter xylinum has been reacted with propyleneoxide to synthesize hydroxypropyl cellulose （HPC） under different reaction conditions while diluted by toluene. The effects of mass ratio of bacterial cellulose to propyleneoxide, dilutability of toluene, reaction temperature （T） and time （t） were investigated by series of experiments. The degree of substitution （DS）, hydroxypropyl content （A） and yield （η） were compared. The optimized product exhibited cold-water solubility and hot-water gelatinization in aqueous medium. Further study was carried out with FTIR, TGA, XRD, SEM and 13C-NMR for characterization. The water/air contact angle measurement reveals that it is a good hydrophobic material with good mechanical properties.