Tosylcellulose synthesis in aqueous medium

p-Toluenesulfonyl cellulose was prepared by reacting cellulose in aqueous medium, instead of via traditional routes, which involve the use of DMAc/LiCl, or more recently, ionic liquids. The influence of several parameters on the reaction efficiency has been studied; amount of tosylchloride, presence of triethylamine, reaction time and use of sodium hydroxide or sodium chloride. The resulting p-toluenesulfonyl cellulose samples were characterized by means of FTIR and NMR spectroscopy. The effects of solvent on the crystalline change during tosylation were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The degree of substitution (DS) was determined by 1H NMR and confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Tosylcelluloses with DS from 0.1 to 1.7 have been prepared.