Promising grafting strategies on cellulosic backbone through radical polymerization processes – A review

Abstract

Cellulose is an abundant organic substance found in natural polymer, consists of a linear chain of β glucose residue, which ties from the 1, 4 linkage. Owing to their incredible properties such as bio-renewable, specific tensile strength and bio-degradable, it is being enormously using as a paperboard, drug delivery, fiber production, food packing material, sensitized solar cell, biosorbent, pickering emulsion stabilizer, and battery separator in the modern age of the lithium-ion battery. This review principally points out the radical polymerization method (RPM) for fabricating cellulose derivative. By exploiting RPM, new and improved properties indulging polymer composite of cellulose can successfully fix up by the reaction with the small organic fragment (monomer) such as a methacrylate, methacrylamide, styrene, and butadiene, etc. Radical polymerization has been striking for a long time, due to their procurable process-ability among all the polymerization methods. The most commonly used initiators such as Fenton's reagent, potassium persulfate, and ceric ammonium nitrate are being using to engender free radicals on the cellulose backbone. Other free radical generating techniques like radiation technique (UV + photoinitiator, gamma radiation), plasma treatment, and controlled radical polymerization are being using for grafting purposes. The review summarizes to traditional grafting strategy by common initiators and currently utilizing controlled radical polymerization (CRP) chemistry for polymer synthesis. These methods allow for the formation of functional cellulose, which may possess renovated physical and chemical properties.