Chemical modification of cellulose acetate by allylation and crosslinking with siloxane derivatives

A new pathway to cellulose–siloxane hybrid materials was investigated. Allylated cellulose was prepared by chemical modification of cellulose acetate using three different procedures and was crosslinked afterwards by hydrosilylation in the presence of Karstedt's catalyst. Poly[dimethyl(methyl‐H)siloxane] with 25 mol% Si? H side groups and 1,1,3,3‐tetramethyldisiloxane were used as crosslinking agents in different ratios as regards the unsaturated component. The occurrence of the reaction was verified using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry following the reduction until disappearance of bands corresponding to Si? H and C?C bonds with the formation of new Si? C bonds that led to the crosslinking of the cellulose derivative. The reaction products were processed as films that were insoluble in common solvents. Surface (static contact angle, water vapour sorption capacity and swelling in various solvents), mechanical and thermal properties of the networks processed as films were investigated and the results were correlated with the reactant ratios. The crosslinking density was determined based on differential scanning calorimetry data. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry