Search

Bio-based aerogel (polysaccharide cryogel) have led to a growing interest because of eco-friendliness, sustainability and excellent thermal insulation properties. Herein, we report an eco-friendly strategy to construct lightweight and porous sodium alginate/carboxymethyl cellulose/chitosan polysaccharide-based composite aerogels (SCC-B) by freeze-drying and post-cross-linking technology. The ester cross-linking of polysaccharide component achieved strong web-like entangled structure when using 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid and sodium hypophosphite as eco-friendly co-additives, meanwhile significantly improved flame retardancy of SCC-B due to phosphorylation. The thermal kinetic behavior of SCC-B was investigated by Flynn-Wall-Ozawa and Kissinger models. Results indicated that peak heat release rate and total heat release of SCC-B decreased from 30 W/g to 20 W/g and 15 kJ/g to 10 kJ/g, respectively. Furthermore, the second-degree burn time of SCC-B reached up to 87.1 s under heat exposure of 11.3 kW/m 2 . These characteristics combine to suggest hopeful prospects for use of SCC-B in the fields of fire-protection clothing as a renewable flame-retardant material., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We report here a one-step aqueous method for the synthesis of isolated and purified polysaccharide-amino acid conjugates. Two different types of amino acid esters: glycine methyl ester and L-tryptophan methyl ester, as model compounds for peptides, were conjugated to the polysaccharide carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) in water using carbodiimide at ambient conditions. Detailed and systematic pH-dependent charge titration and spectroscopy (infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance: 1 H, 13 C- DEPT 135, 1 H- 13 C HMBC/HSQC correlation), UV-vis, elemental and ninhydrin analysis provided solid and direct evidence for the successful conjugation of the amino acid esters to the CMC backbone via an amide bond. As the concentration of amino acid esters increased, a conjugation efficiency of 20-80% was achieved. Activated charcoal aided base-catalyzed deprotection of the methyl esters improved the solubility of the conjugates in water. The approach proposed in this work should have the potential to tailor the backbone of polysaccharides containing di- or tri-peptides., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

For stopping long-time harmful bacterial infection, designing a drug carrier with a highly prolonged release profile is a promising approach that is of interest to different biomedical areas. The subject of this work is to synthesis a novel carrier system through coordination of MIL-88(Fe) to carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) for enhancing interaction between drug and carrier. We established an ultrasound-assisted synthetic method for in situ synthesis of MIL-88(Fe) in the presence of CMC resulting in CMC/MIL-88(Fe) composite. The CMC/MIL-88(Fe) was loaded with a high amount of Tetracycline (TC) by immersion of carrier to the TC aqueous solution. The release profile in the simulated physiological conditions, pH 7.4, revealed a low initial burst release followed by a sustained and prolonged release over 384 h. The in vitro cytotoxicity of CMC/MIL-88(Fe) against Human skin fibroblast (HFF-1) cells was calculated by MTT assay and showed a good cytocompatibility. The antibacterial activity was found for TC-loaded CMC/MIL-88(Fe) toward both E. coli and S. aureus with MIC 64 mg·ml -1 ., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The current study evaluated the effect of location and amount of various superdisintegrants on the properties of tablets made by twin-screw melt granulation (TSMG). Sodium-croscarmellose (CCS), crospovidone (CPV), and sodium starch glycolate (SSG) were used in various proportions intra- and extra-granular. Tabletability, compactibility, compressibility as well as friability, disintegration, and dissolution performance were assessed. The extra-granular addition resulted in the fasted disintegration and dissolution. CPV performed superior to CCS and SSG. Even if the solid fraction (SF) of the granules was lower for CPV, only a minor decrease in tabletability was observed, due to the high plastic deformation of the melt granules. The intra-granular addition of CPV resulted in a more prolonged dissolution profile, which could be correlated to a loss in porosity during tableting. The 100% intra-granular addition of the CPV resulted in a distinct decrease of the disintegration efficiency, whereas the performance of SSG was unaffected by the granulation process. CCS was not suitable to be used for the production of an immediate-release formulation, when added in total proportion into the granulation phase, but its efficiency was less impaired compared to CPV. Shortest disintegration (78 s) and dissolution (Q 80 : 4.2 min) was achieved with CPV extra-granular. Using CPV and CCS intra-granular resulted in increased disintegration time and Q 80 . However, at a higher level of appx. 500 s and appx. 15 min, only SSG showed a process and location independent disintegration and dissolution performance.

Inspired by antimicrobial peptides (AMP) which could alleviate drug resistance pressure, antimicrobial peptide mimics (AMPMs) were designed timely. Here, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) -based AMPMs were constructed by introducing different diamines on CMC effectively. Firstly, CMC was degraded to be oligomers with different molecular weights, followed by amination reactions with different diamines respectively. After protonation, a series of AMPMs with different structures were synthesized successfully. Their antibacterial effect has been evaluated by dynamic growth curves and microdilution method. The images snapped by the confocal laser scanning microscope and transmission electron microscope have fully proved its great lethality. And the antibacterial mechanism measured by flow cytometry analysis and zeta potential detection demonstrated that the destruction of membrane potential leads to bacteria death. The excellent blood compatibility and negligible drug resistance has also been confirmed. In addition, the synthesis method is simple and environmental-friendly., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Carboxymethyl cellulose derivatives bearing tetrabutylammonium moieties (CMC-TBA) were synthesized by the acidification of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) followed by acid-base neutralization with tetrabutylammonium hydroxide. The products were identified by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and the degrees of substitution (DS) values were also quantified according to the integral area values in 1 H NMR spectra. It was revealed that DS values had a positive relationship with the molar ratios of TBAOH to CMC. The antibacterial behaviors against gram-positive bacteria S. aureus and gram-negative bacteria E. coli were investigated using serial two-fold dilution method (MIC and MBC) and the disc diffusion method (inhibition zone). The results showed that comparison with CMC, all new CMC-TBA derivatives exhibited high antibacterial activity that depends on bacteria type and their degrees of cationization. The antibacterial action was more effective against S. aureus than E. coli, which could be attributed to the fact that the latter has a complicated bilayer structure of cell wall. Besides, an apparent tendency that the antibacterial activity of CMC-TBA derivatives enhanced with an increase in the degrees of cationization was found. This work suggests that these new derivatives can be introduced as efficient antibacterial biomaterials for biomedical purposes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors declared no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

MMTNS were introduced into carboxymethyl cellulose-chitosan system to synthesize porous hydrogel adsorbent with stable structure and high dye handling capacity. Al-OH on edge of MMTNS formed hydrogen-bond (-OH··· + NH 3 -) with -NH 2 on CS, CS then cooperated with CMC via amidation and chains interleaving, forming three-dimensional hydrogel. Morphology characterization revealed that hydrogel possessed microporous open-framework structure, facilitating free entrance of macromolecular MB dye to react with internal reaction sites in hydrogel. Factor tests indicated that high removal (97%) of MB was achieved via 0.2 g/L hydrogel within 360 min even after 5 adsorption-regeneration cycles. Adsorption process followed Pseudo-first-order, Pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Sips isotherm model, owing to both monolayer physical and chemical adsorption behavior of MB molecules onto homogeneous surface of hydrogel. Adsorption mechanism was attributed to ion-exchange, groups combination of carboxyl and hydroxyl, and Si active sites reaction. Such hydrogel realized promotion of polysaccharide polymers in materials design and wastewater treatment., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A green method was used for the preparation of functional carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) hydrogel crosslinked by divalent zinc ions and incorporated with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO) without using alkaline reagents. In the process, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose was used not only as a hydrogel matrix but also for the release of free hydroxyl groups, which increases the pH of the reaction mixture, consequently leading to the formation of ZnO. The chemical structure and morphology of the hydrogels were characterized using FTIR and FE-SEM analysis, respectively. The water absorption capacity of the hydrogels was studied as a function of temperature and pH. The results of FE-SEM showed the formation of ZnO particles in the hydrogel, while the water absorption capacity results supported the formation of zinc ion cross-linking within the carboxymethylcellulose chains. The CMC/ZnO nanocomposite hydrogel exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria E. coli and L. monocytogenes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Prenyltransferase NovQ immobilized carboxymethyl cellulose magnetic nanoparticles (NCMNs) were successfully synthesized via a valuable approach integrated from nanocomposite preparation, and applied for the production of vitamin K 2 using menadione hydroquinol and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) as substrates. To investigate the interaction between nanoparticles and NovQ, we characterized the nanocomposite, and revealed that carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and Fe 3 O 4 formed a core-shell structure to absorb NovQ in the reaction systems, resulting from the high affinity of immobilized materials. Meanwhile, NCMNs with excellent pH and temperature tolerance, enhanced prenylated activity, and improved stability were found. Molecular docking analysis was also conducted to justify the contribution of multiple amino acids and effect of nanoparticles on catalytic properties of NovQ. Taken together, our study introduces a promising strategy to prepare magnetic nanoparticles and improve the performance of catalyst, which aims for opening new orientations for synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles used for prenyltransferase immobilization., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The remedy for infected chronic wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers is more complicated particularly in the case of patients with an inefficient immune system. Also, fighting against microbial infections in the wound site by available antibiotics may not be effective because of emerging antibiotic resistance properties among pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Recently, applications of micro- and nanoformulations of biomaterials have demonstrated improved therapeutic abilities for wound dressings. In this way, carboxymethyl, dialdehyde, and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl-oxidized celluloses are common biomaterials having outstanding physicochemical and therapeutic properties compared to unmodified cellulose. Therefore, in this review, recent progress in the field of wound healing and antimicrobial activities of these derivatives are presented and discussed., (© 2020 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

We report an elastase-responsive, H2S-releasing hydrogel prepared by covalently crosslinking a mixture of carboxymethylcellulose and poly(ethylene glycol) with an elastase-degradable peptide functionalized with an H2S-releasing S-aroylthiooxime (SATO) unit. Addition of elastase triggered a gel-to-sol transition, which exposed SATOs, leading to more and longer H2S release compared to untriggered gels.

In this study, the composite of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) film modified with gelatin and TiO 2 -Ag nanoparticles (CMC/Gel/TiO 2 -Ag) was prepared and some properties of synthesized film including physicochemical and photocatalytic properties were investigated. FT-IR results showed that new interactions between the film components were created. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the TiO 2 -Ag particles with 50-100 nm distributed in the CMC/Gelatin film. The results of the mechanical test showed that the TiO 2 -Ag nanoparticles at low concentrations increased tensile strength (TS) and decreased strain to break (STB), but with increasing nanoparticles concentrations, TS decreased and STB increased. Photocatalytic study showed that the prepared CMC/Gel/TiO 2 -Ag film has good photocatalytic property. Gas chromatography was used to study photocatalytic effects of film. Increasing TiO 2 -Ag nano particles on the film increases the photocatalytic activity of films against NH3, ethanol and benzene., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

This work reports on a simple and environmentally benign route to prepare freestanding magnetic films based on cellulose derivatives through the combination of cobalt ferrite (CoFe 2 O 4 ) nanoparticles with methyl cellulose (MC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC). Nanoparticles are able to "shield" hydrogen bonding interactions between polysaccharide chains and lower the viscosity of water-dissolved MC, HPC, and NaCMC, allowing an easy film fabrication. Crack-free films with homogeneously dispersed nanoparticles having concentrations up to 50 wt % are fabricated by mechanical agitation followed by doctor blade casting. All of the nanocomposite films keep a substantial level of flexibility with elongation at break exceeding 5%. Halpin-Tsai equations serve to provide further insights on the character of matrix-CoFe 2 O 4 interfaces. Magnetization saturation increases almost linearly with cobalt ferrite concentration up to a maximum value of ∼24-27 emu g -1 for nanocomposites containing 50 wt % of nanoparticles. The dielectric response of the films demonstrates a strong dependence on both the functional groups attached to the main cellulose chain and the ferrite nanoparticle content. The renewable character of the hosting matrices, together with the fabrication methods that solely uses water as a solvent, the decrease of the viscosity with the inclusion of fillers, particularly suitable for printable materials, and the resulting magnetic performance provide novel avenues for the replacement of traditional magnetoactive composites based on petroleum-derived polymers and avoiding the use of toxic solvents.

Novel core-shell superparamagnetic nanofluids composed of magnetic iron oxide (Fe 3 O 4 , MION) and cobalt-doped (Co x Fe 3-x O 4 , Co-MION) nanoparticles functionalized with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) ligands were designed and produced via green colloidal aqueous process. The effect of the degree of substitution (DS = 0.7 and 1.2) and molecular mass (M w ) of CMC and cobalt doping concentration on the physicochemical and magnetic properties of these nanoconjugates were comprehensively investigated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with selected area electron diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential (ZP) analysis, vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR). The results demonstrated the effect of concentration of carboxylate groups and M w of CMC on the hydrodynamic dimension, zeta potential, and generated heat by magnetic hyperthermia of MION nanoconjugates. Co-doping of MION showed significant alteration of the electrostatic balance of charges of the nanoconjugates interpreted as effect of surface interactions. Moreover, the VSM and EPR results proved the superparamagnetic properties of these nanocolloids, which were affected by the presence of CMC and Co-doping of iron oxide nanoparticles. These magnetic nanohybrids behaved as nanoheaters for killing brain cancer cells in vitro with prospective future applications in oncology and nanomedicine., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In order to replace conventional sutures in wound closing applications, favorable hydrogels with strong wet tissue adhesion and biocompatibility have attracted considerable attention. Herein, inspired by mussel adhesive protein, a series of dopamine modified carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-DA) hydrogels were prepared in situ using enzymatic crosslinking in the presence of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and H 2 O 2 . The biomimetic CMC-DA hydrogel exhibited about 6-fold enhanced wet tissue adhesion strength (28.5 kPa) over the commercial fibrin glue. In addition, the gelation time, swelling ratio and rheological property of the hydrogel can be simply controlled by changing the concentrations of HRP, H 2 O 2 , and CMC-DA polymer. The gels also exhibited good biodegradation and biocompatibility in vitro. The overall results show that the CMC-DA hydrogel with enhanced wet adhesiveness will be a promising tissue adhesive material., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Nowadays the development of natural biomaterials as promising building polymers for flexible, biodegradable, biocompatible and environmentally friendly electronic devices is of great interest. As the most common natural polymers, cellulose and its derivatives have the potential to be applied in the devices owing to the easy processing, nontoxicity and biodegradability. Here, write-once-read-many-times resistive switching devices based on biodegradable carboxymethyl cellulose-graphene oxide (CMC-GO) nanocomposite are demonstrated for the first time. The hybridization sites formed by the gelation of CMC and GO molecules contribute to the excellent memory behaviors. When compared with devices base on pure GO and CMC, the device with the Al/CMC-GO/Al/SiO 2 structure exhibits brilliant write-once-read-many-times (WORM) switching characteristics such as high ON/OFF current ratio of ˜10 5 , low switching voltage of 2.22 V, excellent stability and durability. What's more, the device shows high flexibility and good resistive switching behaviors even with soft PET substrate (Al/CMC-GO/Al/PET structure). This newly designed cellulose-graphene oxide-based polymer nanocomposites are quite cheap and easy processed for large scale manufacturing of memory devices and can further contribute to future biodegradable data storage applications such as portable stretchable displays, wearable electronics and electronic skins in the coming age of artificial intelligence., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Developing biomaterials based on the natural biomacromolecule silk sericin from Bombyx mori cocoon is of great interest for biomedical application. Dialdehyde carboxymethyl cellulose (DCMC) is derived from periodate oxidation of carboxy- methyl cellulose. Here, we developed a novel strategy of cross-linking of sericin with DCMC via the Schiff's base reaction. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy indicated the formation of Schiff's base via the blending of sericin and DCMC. The mechanical properties tests suggested the covalent cross-linking effectively enhanced the tensile strength of sericin. The swelling test and water contact angle indicated the DCMC/SS film had excellent hydrophilicity, swellability. Additionally, we demonstrated the DCMC/SS film had excellent blood compatibility, cytocompatibility and promoting cell proliferation activity by the hemolysis ratio analysis, cell adhesion, cells viability and proliferation assays. The prepared DCMC/SS film has shown great promise in biomedical applications such as wound dressing, artificial skin and tissue engineering., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this work, a biobased adsorbent (CMC-PAMA) consisting of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, polyacrylic acid and polyacrylamide was prepared by a simple thermal crosslinking method for the removal of methylene blue (MB) and Pb (II) from aqueous solutions. The CMC-PAMA showed excellent static adsorption capacities for MB and Pb (II) of 1611.44 mg·g -1 840.11 mg·g -1 , respectively, indicating its excellent performance on dyes dynamic removal. The adsorption performance of the as-prepared CMC-PAMA could be fitted well with pseudo-second-order and Langmuir isothermal model. The adsorption mechanism between CMC-PAMA and Pb (II) was confirmed by FT-IR, XPS and ion-exchange behavior. Interestingly, CMC-PAMA showed high efficiency for separation of MB/methyl orange (MO) mixtures, low equilibrium swelling ratio (0.52 g·g -1 ) in distilled water, good stability and reusability. With those combined advantages, CMC-PAMA could find potential application in wastewater treatment., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Multi-triggered DNA/bipyridinium dithienylethene (DTE) hybrid carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-based hydrogels are introduced. DTE exhibits cyclic and reversible photoisomerization properties, switching between the closed state (DTE c ), the electron acceptor, and the open isomer (DTE o ) that lacks electron acceptor properties. One system introduces a dual stimuli-responsive hydrogel containing CMC chains modified with electron donor dopamine sites and self-complementary nucleic acids. In the presence of DTE c and the CMC scaffold, a stiff hydrogel is formed, cooperatively stabilized by dopamine/DTE c donor-acceptor interactions and by duplex nucleic acids. The cyclic and reversible formation and dissociation of the supramolecular donor-acceptor interactions, through light-induced photoisomerization of DTE, or via oxidation and subsequent reduction of the dopamine sites, leads to hydrogels of switchable stiffness. Another system introduces a stimuli-responsive hydrogel triggered by one of three alternative signals. The stiff, multi-triggered hydrogel consists of CMC chains cross-linked by dopamine/DTE c donor-acceptor interactions, and by supramolecular K + -stabilized G-quadruplexes. The G-quadruplexes are reversibly separated in the presence of 18-crown-6 ether and reformed upon the addition of K + . The stiff hydrogel undergoes reversible transitions between high-stiffness and low-stiffness states triggered by light, redox agents, or K + /crown ether. The hybrid donor-acceptor/G-quadruplex cross-linked hydrogel shows shape-memory and self-healing features. By using three different triggers and two alternative memory-codes, e.g., the dopamine/DTE c or the K + -stabilized G-quadruplexes, the guided shape-memory function of the hydrogel matrices is demonstrated.

To efficiently deliver the chemotherapeutics to the tumor tissue and minimize the associated adverse effects, nucleolin targeted hybrid nanostructure based on hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) were fabricated. To provide the controlled, sustained drug release and enhance blood circulation, the surface of doxorubicin-encapsulated HMSNs were coated with acetylated carboxymethyl cellulose (Ac-CMC) and then covalently conjugated to AS1411 aptamer for guided drug delivery to nucleolin overexpressed cancerous cells. In vitro cellular uptake and cytotoxicity studies confirmed that AS1411 aptamer specifically targets nucleolin overexpressing MCF-7 and C26 cells. Moreover, the in vivo tumor inhibitory effect of AS1411 aptamer conjugated formulation demonstrated a superior therapeutic efficiency over non-targeted formulation and free doxorubicin. The current study might open a new insight to the development of targeted intelligent hybrid materials based on AcCMC-coated HMSNs with high loading capacity, smart characteristics and desirable anticancer potential., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This article deals with evaluating the role of cellulose origin, from wood and non-wood, on preparing green CMC-Ag complex as biological active agent. Viscose pulp as well as bagasse and rice straw pulps were used in preparation of CMCs, followed by complexation with AgNO 3. The complex structure (free-Ag, IR-spectra and TGA), morphology (TEM), antibiological and anti-tumor activities were studied. The data revealed that, the main interaction between CMC and silver is occurred via carboxylate groups and ether link of 1ry alcohol, with formation stable 5-membered ring structure. For the case of RS-based CMC-Ag complex the interaction between COO groups and silica included RS is also possible, via hydrogen bonds. These complexes have anti-biological especially towards gram positive bacteria (B.subtilis, NCID-3610), and uni- and multi cellular fungi. AgNPs from viscose (VCMC-Ag complex) has relatively higher anti-tumor activity for breast cancer MCF-7 in vitro than bagasse-based CMC-Ag complex (BCMC-Ag complex) with IC 50 128μg/ml (as Ag). It is interesting to note that; viscose-based CMC-Ag complex (VCMC-Ag) has higher efficient behaviour as bioactive agent than literature reported agents, e.g., Pyridine derivative (∼300μg/ml)., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Rice stubble is agricultural waste consisting of cellulose which can be converted to carboxymethyl cellulose from rice stubble (CMCr) as a potential biomaterial. Plasticizer types (glycerol and olive oil) and their contents were investigated to provide flexibility for use as food packaging material. Glycerol content enhanced extensibility, while olive oil content improved the moisture barrier of films. Additionally, CMCr showed potential as a replacement for up to 50% of commercial CMC without any changes in mechanical and permeability properties. A mixture of plasticizers (10% glycerol and 10% olive oil) provided blended film with good water barrier and mechanical properties comparable with 20% individual plasticizer. Principle component (PC) analysis with 2 PCs explained approximately 81% of the total variance, was a useful tool to select a suitable plasticizer ratio for blended film production. Therefore, CMCr can be used to form edible film and coating as a renewable environmentally friendly packaging material., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The preparation of liquisolid systems presents a promising and innovative possibility for enhancing dissolution profiles and improving the bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. This study aims to evaluate the differences in the properties of liquisolid systems containing combinations of 3 commercially used superdisintegrants (sodium starch glycolate, crospovidone, and croscarmellose sodium). Multiple regression models and contour plots were used to study how the amount and the type of superdisintegrant used affected the quality parameters of liquisolid tablets. The results revealed that an increased amount of crospovidone in the mixture improves disintegration and wetting time and enhances drug release from the prepared liquisolid tablets. Moreover, it was observed that a binary blend of crospovidone and sodium starch glycolate improved tablet disintegration. Considering the obtained results, it could be stated that crospovidone showed the best properties to be used as superdisintegrant for the preparation of liquisolid systems containing rosuvastatin., (Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The present study deals with synthesizing novel cellulose derivative, from modifying the carboxymethyl cellulose with amino phenylpropanoic acid (CMC-APP). The synthesized CMC-APP was evaluated as biological and anti-cancer active compound. The molecular structures of this active compound were built using the HyperChem program 7.5, together with conventional analysis (nitrogen content, FT-IR, and non-isothermal TGA analysis). Optimizing the CMC/APPA ratio was carried out as preliminary assessment step, via undetected antimicrobial activity measurement. The TEM study showed that, the synthesized cellulose CMC-APP derivative in the nano-scale particle size (range from 12.5 to 89.3nm). Among all the tested microorganisms and MCF-7 breast cancer cells, the synthesized nano-cellulose derivative is possible used as safety medicine for microbial infections and cancers. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for Gram-positive bacteria, and gram-negative bacteria are 48.82μg/mL and 97μg/mL, respectively. While, the unicellular fungi and filamentous fungi are 12.2μg/mL and 97.65μg/mL, respectively. The cytotoxic index (IC50) for MCF-7 breast cancers is 50μg/mL. Moreover, the computational study of ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination and toxic) properties, of the molecules showed that, this investigated nano-compound is good oral bioavailability., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Sugarcane straw (SCS) is a raw material with high potential for production of cellulose derivatives due to its morphology and structure. The proposal of this work was to synthesize cellulose acetate (CA) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) from sugarcane straw cellulose, and applied the CA in the preparation of a membrane. The cellulose extraction was carried out in four steps. Firstly, SCS was treated with H2SO4 (10% v/v) followed by NaOH (5% w/v) treatment. Subsequently, a chelating process was performed before ending the extraction process with chemical bleaching using H2O2 (5% v/v). The extracted cellulose was employed in the obtainment of CA and CMC. The CA presented a degree of substitution (DS) of 2.72. Its FTIR spectrum showed that practically all hydroxyl groups were replaced by acetate groups. The membrane synthesized from CA was dense and homogeneous. The presence of small particles on the top and bottom surfaces decreased the mechanical resistance of the membrane. The CMC presented a low DS (0.4) demonstrating the carboxymethylation reaction was not very effective due to the presence of lignin. These results proved that SCS can be utilized in the synthesis of CA and CMC., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The goal of our study is to develop and characterize mucoadhesive films with entrapped lysozyme based on gelatin/sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as perspective antimicrobial preparation. Lysozyme in mucoadhesive films retains more than 95% of its initial activity for 3 years of storage. Different physical-chemical and biochemical characteristics of entrapped enzyme were evaluated, such as film thickness, weight, time of dissolution in water, bioadhesive force, in vitro lysozyme release, pH- and thermoprofiles of hydrolytic activity, effect of γ-sterilization, etc. We have shown that gelatin/sodium carboxymethyl cellulose films have adhesive force on the level of 4380Pa. Scanning electron microscopy images shows the relative uniformity of the gelatin surface with entrapped lysozyme. Mucoadhesive films with lysozyme have 100% bactericidal effect on the test strain, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 F-49 and thus could be considered as a perspective antimicrobial preparation., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The natural biopolymers usually need to be chemically modified by crosslinking reagents to improve their mechanical properties. In the present research, the feasibility of using the dialdehyde carboxymethyl cellulose (DCMC) as a crosslinking reagent was systematically studied. DCMC was prepared by oxidizing carboxymethyl cellulose using sodium periodate. The formation of dialdehyde groups was confirmed by FTIR and the degree of oxidation was determined. The biocompatibility of DCMC was investigated by evaluating its cytotoxicity to L929 fibroblasts and histocompatibility in rat model via intramuscular and subcutaneous injection. DCMC-crosslinked carboxymethyl chitosan (DCMC-CMCTS) was prepared and characterized using the glutaraldehyde-crosslinked CMCTS (GA-CMCTS) as control. The result demonstrated that DCMC was non-cytotoxic, biodegradable and biocompatible. The DCMC-CMCTS displayed significantly better thermostability, swelling capacity and cyto-compatibility compared with GA-CMCTS. Our data provided experimental basis for the future application of DCMC as a novel crosslinking reagent., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Significant efforts have been made to develop composite membranes with high adsorption efficiencies for water treatment. In this study, a carboxymethyl cellulose-graft-poly(acrylic acid) membrane was synthesized in the presence of silica gel, which was used as an inorganic support. Then, different amounts of bentonite were introduced to the carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) grafted networks as a multifunctional crosslinker, and nanocomposite membranes were prepared. The nanocomposite membranes were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, which revealed their compositions and surface morphologies. The novel synthesized nanocomposite membranes were utilized as adsorbents for the removal of crystal violet (CV) and cadmium (Cd (II)) ions, which were selected as representatives of a dye and a heavy metal, respectively. We explored the effects of various parameters, such as time, pH, temperature, initial concentration of adsorbate solution and amount of adsorbent, on membrane adsorption capacity. Furthermore, the kinetic, adsorption isotherm models and thermodynamic were employed for the description of adsorption processes. The maximum adsorption capacities of membranes for CV and Cd (II) ions were found to be 546 and 781 mg g(-1), respectively. The adsorption of adsorbate ions by all types of nanocomposite membranes followed pseudo-second-order kinetic model and was best fit with the Freundlich adsorption isotherm. The results indicated that the synthesized nanocomposite membrane is an efficient adsorbent for the removal of cationic dye and metal contaminants from aqueous solution during water treatment., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Corn husk is an abundant agricultural waste. It has great potential for use as a cellulose source for the production of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). The chemical composition of corn husk, such as cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin, fatty and waxy matter, pectic matter and aqueous extract was determined. The cellulose extracted from corn husk was carboxymethylated using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and monochloroacetic acid (MCA), in aqueous ethanolic medium, under heterogeneous conditions. The carboxymethylation reaction was optimized as to the NaOH concentration, MCA concentration, reaction temperature, reaction time and cellulose particle size. The degree of substitution (DS) was determined with respect to the reaction conditions using chemical methods. The produced CMC was identified by FTIR and the crystallinity of the CMC was determined by XRD. The CMC product had an optimized DS of 2.41 and the optimal conditions for carboxymethylation were NaOH concentration, 7.5 mol/L; MCA concentration, 12 mol/L; reaction temperature, 55 °C; reaction time, 3.5 h and cellulose particle size, 74 μm. These optimization factors allowed to prepare highly substituted CMC with higher yield, 2.40 g/g, providing plenty of opportunities for its many applications., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) was selected as substrate for amidation based on previous results described for monocarboxy cellulose (MCC) with the aim to prepare highly substituted products. In comparison with MCC containing uronic carboxyl groups at C-6 position, O-carboxymethyl groups in CMC should be more accessible for reagents because they are more distant from the polysaccharide chain. Two-step way of amidation was based on the esterification of CMC carboxyls by reaction with methanol and further amino-de-alkoxylation (aminolysis) of the obtained methyl ester with amidation reagents (n-alkylamines, hydrazine and hydroxylamine). Purity and substitution degree of the products were monitored by the vibration spectroscopic methods (FTIR and Raman) and organic elemental analysis. Analytical methods confirmed the preparation of highly or moderately substituted N-alkylamides, hydrazide and hydroxamic acid of CMC., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Microbial biodegradation and biodeterioration of cellulose based thickeners is a serious problem in industry. A new tosylic ester of carboxymethyl cellulose (TsCMC) was prepared with anhydride of p-toluensulphonic acid. The TsCMC has improved rheological properties, higher viscosity and pseudoplasticity, superior emulsification properties and decreased wettability compared to parental CMC. The biodeterioration of TsCMC was significantly reduced compared to parental CMC or other commercially used modified cellulose thickeners in water based paint industry. Improved rheological properties combined with low biodeterioration make TsCMC a promising new material for industrial applications with a potential to reduce the use of hazardous antimicrobial agents., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A novel crosslinked hydrogel film was prepared from carboxymethylchitosan (CMCS) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) by ionical and covalent crosslinking with CaSO4 and genipin, respectively. The swelling ratio of the crosslinked CMCS/CMC hydrogel films was investigated at different pH solutions (1-9), and the results indicated that the crosslinked hydrogels had the swelling-deswelling properties with two primary peaks of swelling ratio at pH 3 and 7. The surface morphologies of the crosslinked hydrogels at different pH values provided evidences of the swelling-deswelling properties. The mechanical properties of the hydrogel films were also examined. The ionical and covalent crosslinking were found to have the primary impact on the toughness and max load, respectively, of the crosslinked hydrogels. The cells comparatively cultured on the crosslinked hydrogels and the negative and positive controls suggested the biocompatibility of the crosslinked CMCS/CMC films. This kind of hydrogel films have potential application in drug delivery vehicles and skin tissue engineering., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Natural bone is a complex inorganic-organic nanocomposite material, in which hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocrystals and collagen fibrils are well organized into hierarchical architecture over several length scales. In this work, we reported a new hybrid material (CMC-HA) containing HA drown in a carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)-based hydrogel. The strategy for inserting HA nanocrystals within the hydrogel matrix consists of making the freeze-dried hydrogel to swell in a solution containing HA microcrystals. The composite CMC-HA hydrogel has been characterized from a physicochemical and morphological point of view by means of FTIR spectroscopy, rheological measurements, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). No release of HA was measured in water or NaCl solution. The distribution of HA crystal on the surface and inside the hydrogel was determined by time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and FESEM. The biological performance of CMC-HA hydrogel were tested by using osteoblast MG63 line and compared with a CMC-based hydrogel without HA. The evaluation of osteoblast markers and gene expression showed that the addition of HA to CMC hydrogel enhanced cell proliferation and metabolic activity and promoted the production of mineralized extracellular matrix., (Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Innovative CMC-based hydrogels with great potentials for usage in medical area were principally synthesized as per two strategies .The first involved reaction of epichlorohydrin in alkaline medium containing silver nitrate to yield silver nano-particles (AgNPs)-loaded CMC hydrogel. While CMC acted as stabilizing for AgNPs, trisodium citrate was added to the reaction medium to assist CMC in establishing reduction of Ag(+) to AgNPs. The second strategy entailed preparation of CMC hydrogel which assists the in situ preparation of AgNPs under the same conditions. In both strategies, factors affecting the characterization of AgNPs-loaded CMC hydrogels were studied. Analysis and characterization of the so obtained hydrogels were performed through monitoring swelling behavior, FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, EDX, UV-vis spectrophotometer and TEM. Antimicrobial activity of the hydrogels was examined and mechanisms involved in their synthesis were reported., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Water-soluble sulfate polysalts of carboxymethyl cellulose and tertiary aminomethyl derivatives of 2-isobornyl-4-methylphenol was obtained. For the synthesized conjugates investigated in vivo anti-inflammatory activity in the test of acute formalin inflammation and analgesic activity in tests the "hot plate" and "vinegar cramps".

Unlabelled: The need for biodegradable polymers for packaging has fostered the development of novel, biodegradable polymeric materials from natural sources, as an alternative to reduce amount of waste and environmental impacts. The present investigation involves the synthesis of chitosan nanoparticles-carboxymethylcellulose films, in view of their increasing areas of application in packaging industry. The entire process consists of 2-steps including chitosan nanoparticles preparation and their incorporation in carboxymethylcellulose films. Uniform and stable particles were obtained with 3 different chitosan concentrations. The morphology of chitosan nanoparticles was tested by transmission electron microscopy, revealing the nanoparticles size in the range of 80 to 110 nm. The developed film chitosan nanoparticles-carboxymethylcellulose films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis, solubility tests, and mechanical analysis. Improvement of thermal and mechanical properties were observed in films containing nanoparticles, with the best results occurring upon addition of nanoparticles with 110 nm size in carboxymethylcellulose films., Practical Application: Carboxymethylcellulose films containing chitosan nanoparticles synthesized and characterized in this article could be a potential material for food and beverage packaging applications products due to the increase mechanical properties and high stability. The potential application of the nanocomposites prepared would be in packaging industry to extend the shelf life of products.

In this article, a facile, rapid, and efficient method was developed for the preparation of carboxymethyl hemicelluloses using microwave-induced organic reaction enhancement chemistry. The influences of the factors including reaction time, temperature, and the amount of sodium monochloroacetate and sodium hydroxide on the degree of substitution (DS) of the products were investigated. The rheological properties and the chemical structure of the resulting polymers were also studied. It was found that microwave irradiation could significantly promote the chemical reaction efficiency and accelerate the carboxymethylation of hemicelluloses with sodium monochloroacetate. Therefore, carboxymethyl hemicelluloses with higher DS of 1.02 could be obtained in much shorter time scales as compared to the conventional heating method. Results from rheological analysis indicated that carboxymethyl hemicellulose solutions exhibited shear-thinning behavior in the range of shear rates tested and showed lower viscosity and modulus in comparison with those of the native hemicelluloses due to lower molecular weight and the role of carboxymethyl groups in reducing the entanglements between hemicelluloses chains.

Purpose: The continual search for new products for soft-tissue augmentation has in recent years led to the introduction of long lasting alternatives to hyaluronic acids and collagen that are composed of other polymers able to improve clinical persistence over time. This is the first report in which sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) has been chemically treated by the cross-linking process and thus used as a hydrogel for soft-tissue augmentation through injection with thin needles. The study evaluates, from a clinical point of view, the behavior of cross-linked carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogel used in the aesthetic field and its side effects so as to check the safety and performance of the polymer following intradermal injections., Patients and Methods: This work shows the preliminary results of an ongoing clinical study conducted between 2006 and 2009, performed on 84 healthy volunteers (62 females, 22 males) aged between 18 and 72 years, for the treatment of 168 nasolabial folds, 45 perioral wrinkles, and 39 lip volume., Results: Study results show an excellent correction of facial defects. Tolerance and aesthetic quality of the correction obtained indicate considerable safety features and absence of side effects. From a clinical point of view, hydrogel is gradually absorbed into the injection site without migration issues., Conclusion: Cross-linked CMC hydrogel proves to be an ideal agent for soft tissue augmentation with regard to safety and ease of application. It did not cause infection, extrusion, migration, or adverse reactions in the patients who have been followed for two years. Delayed aesthetic results on facial wrinkles were very satisfactory.

The start-up, the characteristics of granular sludge and the treatment effect of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor under mid-temperature were studied with high concentration carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) wastewater as treating object. Experiment results showed that it spent 80 days to start up UASB by gradually increasing the influent CMC concentration, and the seed sludge was the mixture of the inoculum granular sludge and the digestion sludge. The removal rate of COD could reach above 80% when the value of influent COD concentration was 4000 mg/L and the organic loading was 6.86 kg/(m3 x d), respectively; granular sludge has been obtained in the reactor, and the specific methanogenic activity of the granular sludge was well.

A novel tri-component composite membranes of chitosan/carboxymethyl cellulose (CS/CMC) polyelectrolyte complex membranes filled with different weight ratios of nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA)(0, 20, 40 and 60 wt%), namely, n-HA/CS/CMC composite membrane, were prepared by self-assembly of static electricity. The structure and the properties of the composite membranes were investigated by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy(IR), X-ray diffraction(XRD), Scanning electron microscopy(SEM), mechanical performance measurement, swelling behavior test, and soaking behavior study in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and simulate body fluid (SBF). The results showed that the n-HA/CS/CMC composite membrane was formed though superficial static electricity interaction among n-HA, CS and CMC. For the n-HA/CS/CMC composite membrane, the microstructure compatibility, mechanical property, swelling behavior, the degradation and bioactivity in vitro of the composite membrane were improved by the addition of n-HA, compared with CS/CMC polyelectrolyte complex membrane. Moreover, the n-HA/CS/CMC composite membrane with 40 wt% n-HA had the most highest mechanical property, which suggested that the novel n-HA/CS/CMC composite membrane with 40 wt% n-HA was more suitable to be used as guided bone tissue regeneration membrane than CS/CMC polyelectrolyte complex membrane.

An amphoteric hydrogel film was prepared by solution blending of two natural polyelectrolytes, chitosan and carboxymethylcellulose, and cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. The bending of the film in an electric field was studied in different electrolyte solutions. Because of its amphoteric nature, the hydrogel can bend toward either anode or cathode depending on the pH of the solution. Other factors such as ionic strength and electric field strength also influence the electromechanical behavior of the hydrogels. The equilibrium bending angle of the hydrogel was found to reach a maximum at about 90 degrees in pH = 6 Britton-Robinson buffer solution with an ionic strength of 0.2 M. The sensitivity of the films over a wide range of pH and the good reversibility of this natural amphoteric electric-sensitive hydrogel suggest its future use in microsensor and actuator applications, especially in the biomedical field.

Whereby cholesterol presents one of the major fatty substances in human body, carboxymethyl cellulose is a water-soluble derivative of cellulose, the most abundant dietary fiber. Whereas on one hand in vivo precipitation of cholesterol is the major cause of atherosclerosis, dietary fibers are on the other hand known for their ability to clean the fatty plaque deposited on intestinal pathways, and prevent its build-up in other critical areas within the organism. In this work, a method for the preparation of a composite material comprising cholesterol and carboxymethyl cellulose from 1-hexanol/water biphase mixtures is reported. Specificity of the interaction between the composite components in the given conditions of synthesis inhibits the tendency of solid cholesterol to adopt typical plate- or needle-shaped morphologies. Instead, control of the thixotropic behavior of the constituent polymer phase leads to the formation of bubbling, multi-layered cholesteric films. In view of the major illnesses that involve biological precipitation of cholesterol crystals, these findings may be considered as pointing towards the interactional specificity of potential chemotherapeutic and/or nutritional significance. Scanning electron microscopy, thermal and diffractometric analyses were performed as parts of the characterization of the prepared material.

Sugar cane bagasse pulps were obtained by ethanol/water organosolv process under acid and alkaline conditions. The best condition of acid pulping for the sugarcane bagasse was 0.02 mol/L sulfuric acid at 160 degrees C, for 1 h, whereas the best condition for alkaline pulping was 5% sodium hydroxide (base pulp) at 160 degrees C, for 3 h. For the residual lignin removal, the acid and alkaline pulps were submitted to a chemical bleaching using sodium chlorite. Pulps under acid and alkaline conditions bleached with sodium chlorite presented viscosities of 3.6 and 7.8 mPa x s, respectively, and mu-kappa numbers of 1.1 and 2.4, respectively. The pulp under acid condition, bleached with sodium chlorite was used to obtain carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). CMC yield was 35% (pulp based), showing mass gain after the carboxymethylation reaction corresponding to 23.6% of substitution or 0.70 groups -CH(2) COONa per unit of glucose residue. The infrared spectra showed the CMC characteristic bands and by the infrared technique it was possible to obtain a substitution degree (0.63), similar to the substitution degree calculated by mass gain (0.70).

Superoxide dismutase was glycosidated with cyclodextrin-branched carboxymethylcellulose. The modified enzyme contained 1.4 mol polymer per mol protein and retained 87% of the initial activity. The anti-inflammatory activity of superoxide dismutase was 2.2-times increased after conjugation and its plasma half-life time was prolonged from 4.8 min to 7.2 h.

The application of different ionic liquids (IL), namely 1-N-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C(4)mim](+)Cl(-)), 3-methyl-N-butyl-pyridinium chloride and benzyldimethyl(tetradecyl)ammonium chloride were investigated as solvents for cellulose. The ILs used have the ability to dissolve cellulose with a degree of polymerization in the range from 290 to 1 200 to a very high concentration. Using [C(4)mim](+)Cl(-), no degradation of the polymer appears. By (13)C NMR measurement it was confirmed that this IL is a so-called non-derivatizing solvent. [C(4)mim](+)Cl(-) can be applied as a reaction medium for the synthesis of carboxymethyl cellulose and cellulose acetate. Without using any catalyst, cellulose derivatives with high degree of substitution could be prepared.(13)C NMR spectrum of cellulose dissolved in the IL [C(4)mim](+)Cl(-) (top). The (13)C NMR spectrum of cellulose dissolved in DMSO/tetrabutylammonium fluoride trihydrate is shown for comparison (bottom).

Several materials capable of acting as structures for controlled release were analysed for the fabrication of matrices. Among those used, hydrophilic polysaccharides appeared to be the most suitable materials. Carboxymethylcellulose (a semi-synthetic polysaccharide) was chemically cross-linked with a 60% and 90% cross-linking degree in order to obtain hydrogels and utilised as matrix for the realisation of controlled drug release systems. The morphology of the gels was changed in order to obtain a microporous structure with different porosity (14, 30 and 40 microm). The obtained porous matrices were characterised in terms of pore density, dimension and swelling behaviour. The influence of both the pore dimension and technique of loading on the release kinetics was analysed. By increasing the pore dimension the release of ibuprofen-lysin was slower. Inducing the microporous structure after the loading of the hydrogel with the drug resulted in a slower release.

A new regioselective synthesis of 6-amino-6-deoxycellulose with a DS 1.0 (degree of substitution) at C-6, and its 6-N-sulfonated and its 6-N-carboxymethylated derivatives, without using protecting groups is described in this paper. The reaction conditions were optimized for preparing cellulose tosylate with full tosylation at C-6 and partial tosylation at C-2 and C-3. The nucleophilic substitution (S(N)) reaction of the tosyl group by NaN(3) at low temperature of 50 degrees C in Me(2)SO was achieved completely at C-6, whereas the tosyl groups at C-2 and C-3 were not displaced. In contrast to this, at 100 degrees C the tosyl groups at C-6, and also those at C-2 and C-3, were replaced by azido groups. This regioselective reaction that depends on temperature makes it possible to reach a selective and quantitative S(N) reaction at C-6 at low temperatures. In the subsequent reduction step with LiAlH(4), the azido group at C-6 was reduced to the amino group, and the tosyl groups at C-2 and C-3 were simultaneously completely removed. Also reported is a temperature-dependent, regioselective and complete iodination by nucleophilic substitution of the tosyl group at C-6 at 60 degrees C. At higher temperatures from 75 to 130 degrees C, substitution is also observed to occur at C-2. The selective iodination at 60 degrees C was employed to confirm the complete tosylation at C-6 of cellulose. The reaction products were identified by four different independent quantitative methods, namely 13C NMR, elemental analysis, ESCA, and fluorescence spectroscopy. 6-N-Sulfonated and 6-N-carboxymethylated cellulose derivatives were also synthesized. The new derivatives are potent candidates for structure-function studies, e.g., studies in relation to regioselectively 2-N-sulfonated and 2-N-carboxymethylated chitosan derivatives.

A variety of new cellulose solvents was investigated toward their potential as media for the functionalization of the polyglucane. Thus, mixtures of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)/tetrabutylammonium fluoride trihydrate (TBAF), N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMNO)/DMSO, melts of LiClO(4).3H(2)O, and aqueous solutions of Ni(tren)(OH)(2) [tren = tris(2-aminoethyl)amine] were applied as reaction media. In case of the new solvent, DMSO/TBAF its usefulness for derivatization reactions including the etherification with sodium monochloroacetate and the acylation with vinyl esters of carbonic acids was studied. The structural features of the products were analyzed by means of (1)H NMR spectroscopy (after depolymerization or peresterification), (13)C NMR spectroscopy, and HPLC after complete hydrolytic chain degradation. The results were compared with those obtained from derivatives prepared using the solvent N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc)/LiCl and conventional, heterogeneous synthesis. It can be shown that in case of carboxymethylation reactions the reaction medium applied has a drastic influence both on the course of reaction and on the structural features of the products. A highly efficient tool was found to be atomic force microscopy (AFM), showing remarkable differences in the superstructures of the differentially synthesized derivatives.

Acetobacter xylinum produces highly crystalline cellulose extracellularly using glucose as a carbon source. The polymer formed is free of other biogenic compounds, separable in a simple way and characterized by its high water-absorption capacity. Stepwise solvent exchange from water to unpolar solvents leads to a drastic decrease of the water content of the bacterial cellulose without decrease of the highly swollen and activated state. Heterogeneous as well as homogeneous derivatizations, e.g. carboxymethylation, silylation and acetylation, were performed on the wet or dried biopolymer. Furthermore, different methods for formation of hollow fibres during biosynthesis were investigated. Such tubes may have applications as biocompatible material in medicine.

As a result of reaction of urease with graft copolymer of cellulose and polyglycidyle methacrylate or with carboxymethyl cellulose, products were synthesized, containing about 2% of chemically bound urease. Binding with the cellulose derivatives was accompanied by about two-fold decrease in urease activity. Carboxymethyl cellulose-urease and polyglycidile methacrylate-cellulose-urease might be repeatedly (for 30 cycles) used for hydrolysis of urea; the enzymatic activity of the first compound did not change, but of the second one--was decreased by 30%. Activity of the compounds was not changed after storage within 2 months in 0.1 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.0 at 4 degrees C.