<p> A series of derivatives of thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid was prepared from two sulfur containing aminoacids, cysteine and D-penicillamine. Cysteine is very easily oxidized to a disulfide, while penicillamine is less susceptible to oxidation of the sulfhydryl group because of greater steric hindrance. Sulfhydryl aminoacids react readily with aldehydes and ketones to give thiazolidine rings with varying degrees of substitution.</p> <p> Many of the compounds prepared were studied in solution and in the solid state by means of nmr, vibrational spectroscopy, mass spectra and X-ray crystallographic data. Thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acids contain a free carboxyl group and a secondary amino group, both of which can be ionized. Infrared spectra and X-ray crystallography are useful in detecting ionization and hydrogen bonds. An example is given of a compound that can exist in both the zwitterion and the non ionized state depending on the solvent of recrystallization.</p> <p> From previous work in our group we were predicting that increasing steric crowding in the thiazolidine ring in close proximity to the ionizable groups would decrease the tendency of these molecules to ionize. No such simple relationship could be found.</p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

This thesis has been divided into five sections. The first chapter introduces the main themes of this thesis, including the description of the concepts of supramolecular chemistry, crystal engineering, hydrogen bonding and graph set analysis. The final section of chapter one describes a typical X-ray experiment used to determine the structures of the compounds presented in this thesis. Chapter two describes the synthesis and single crystal structures of copper(I) complexes with pyridine- and pyrazine-carboxylic acids. A series of novel solvent inclusion compounds of copper(I) complexes with pyridine- and pyrazine-carboxylic acids and the hydrogen bonding patterns adopted are also discussed. Chapter three reports the potential uses of boronic acids as building blocks for the design of novel solid-state architectures utilising hydrogen bonds. Novel copper(I) pyridine-/pyrazine-carboxylate complexes with boronic acid co-crystals are presented in which the heterodimeric boronic carboxylate R22(8) ring motif is present in all cases. Chapter four discusses the synthesis of novel ditertiary phosphines bearing functional groups with hydrogen bonding potential either via a three-step or single step synthetic route which involves a well known method of reductive amination followed by an efficient Mannich-based condensation. Complexation studies of these P,P-bidentate ligands with various transition metal centres such as Pt(II), Mo(0), Ru(II) and Au(I) are also presented. The effect on the structural motifs observed in these series of compounds by the regioselective incorporation of functional groups with potential hydrogen bonding capability such as hydroxyl and amide is also given. Finally, chapter five contains the synthesis and coordination studies of new phosphorus donor ligands leading to ideas for further work.

We have described herein a convenient one-pot synthesis of lisulfides/diselenides from a-amino acids mediated by ammonium etrathiomolybdate in water. (Figure 1) (Figure) Figure 1 Transformation of α-amino acids into the corresponding tiiocyanates/selenocyanates/disulfides/diselenides Halo-de-amination of a-amino acids using HBr/NaNCte followed by treatment with ammonium tetrathiomolybdate (NH4)2]VloS4 jLb provided a general route for the the one-pot synthesis of chiral a,a' bis (dithio) carboxylic acids (Figure 1, 2b). The yields were moderate, limited mainly the moderate conversion of a-amino acids into the corresponding chiral a-bromides. It was possible to synthesize the 2-thiocyanto carboxylic acids from the corresponding a-amino acids by a similar strategy. Thus diazotization in the presence of KSCN yielded in the chiral 2-thiocyanto carboxylic acids in moderate yields (Figure 1, 3). Thiocyanato-de-amination thus afforded the thiocyanates which when treated with JJD provided the chiral disulfides (Figure 1, 4a). We could thus synthesize both enantiomers of the disulfide from a single enantiomer of the starting a-amino acid. (Figure 1, 4a,4b) Using a similar strategy we have also demonstrated an efficient method for the synthesis of chiral selenocyanates starting from a-amino acids, using selenocyanate anion as the nucleophile (Figure 1, 5). It is possible to demonstrate a one-pot synthesis of chiral diselenides by reductive coupling of selenocyanates using JJb. (Figure 1, 6) (for figure see the pdf file)

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Masters Degree in Technology: Chemistry, Durban University of Technology, 2012. / The thesis involves a study of the thermodynamics of ternary liquid mixtures involving carboxylic acids with sulfolane, hydrocarbons and acetonitrile. Carboxylic acids are an important group of polar compounds with many industrial and commercial uses and applications. In South Africa, these carboxylic acids together with many other oxygenates and hydrocarbons are manufactured by SASOL using the Fischer–Tropsch process. The separation of these acids from hydrocarbons is a commercially viable option, and is an important reason for this study. This work focuses on the use of sulfolane in effecting separation by solvent extraction and not by the more common and energy intensive method of distillation. Sulfolane was chosen because of its high polarity and good solvent extraction properties. The first part of this study involves the determination of excess molar volumes (VmE) of binary mixtures of sulfolane (1) + carboxylic acids (2) at different temperatures of 303.15 K and 308.15 K, where carboxylic acids refer to acetic acid, propanoic acid, butanoic acid, 2-methylpropanoic acid, pentanoic acid and 3-methylbutanoic acid respectively. The densities of the binary systems of sulfolane (1) + carboxylic acids (2) were measured at T = 303.15 K and 308.15 K. The excess molar volumes were calculated from the experimental densities at each temperature. The VmE were negative for the entire mole fractions for all the binary systems. It was found that the VmE in the systems studied increase with an increase in temperature, and also VmE decreases with an increase in the carbon chain length of the carboxylic acid. The VmE data results were correlated using Redlich-Kister equation. Abstract ii The second part was the study of the binodal or solubility curves and tie line data for the ternary systems of [sulfolane (1) + carboxylic acids (2) + hydrocarbons (3)] and [acetonitrile (1) + carboxylic acids (2) + hydrocarbon (3)]. Hydrocarbons refer to pentane, hexane, dodecane and hexadecane. The binodal curve experimental data was determined by the cloud point technique. Liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) phase diagrams were constructed using the mole fractions and refractive indices (nD). Tie line data were obtained for the sulfolane-rich and hydrocarbon-rich phases as well as the acetonitrile-rich and hydrocarbon-rich phases respectively. The tie lines in both cases were skewed towards the hydrocarbon-rich phases indicating that relative mutual solubility of carboxylic acids is higher in the hydrocarbon-rich phase than in the solvent-rich phase. Selectivity values were calculated from the tie-lines to determine the extraction capabilities of solvents sulfolane and acetonitrile. Selectivity values in all cases were greater than one, meaning that both sulfolane and acetonitrile can be used to separate carboxylic acids from hydrocarbons. Binodal curve data were correlated by the Hlavatý, beta (𝛽) and log𝛾 equations; average standard deviation error for Hlavatý was 0.012, for beta (𝛽), 0.023 and for log𝛾, 0.021. The NRTL and UNIQUAC models were used to correlate the experimental tie-lines. The calculated values based on the NRTL equation were found to be better than those based on UNIQUAC equation; the average root-mean square deviation, (rmsd), between the phase composition obtained from experiment and that from calculation was 0.061 for the NRTL model, as compared to 0.358 for UNIQUAC model for the ternary systems involving sulfolane. For ternary systems of acetonitrile, the NRTL equation was better than the UNIQUAC with the rsmd of 0.003 and 0.287for UNIQUAC equation. / DUT Postgraduate Development and Support Directorate (PGDS)

Submitted in fulfilment of the academic requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: Chemistry, Durban University of Technology, 2012. / In this work, the thermodynamics of ternary liquid mixtures involving carboxylic acids with sulfolane, hydrocarbons including cycloalkane, and alcohols are presented. In South Africa, Sasol is one of the leading companies that produce synthesis gas from low grade coal. Carboxylic acids together with many other oxygenate and hydrocarbons are produced by Sasol using the Fischer-Tropsch process. Carboxylic acids class is one of the important classes of compounds with great number of industrial uses and applications. The efficient separation of carboxylic acids from hydrocarbons and alcohols from hydrocarbons is of economic importance in the chemical industry, and many solvents have been tried and tested to improve such recovery. This work focussed on the use of the polar solvent sulfolane in the effective separation by solvent extraction and not by more common energy intensive method of distillation. The first part of the experimental work focussed on ternary liquid-liquid equilibria of mixtures of [sulfolane (1) + carboxylic acid (2) + heptane (3) or cyclohexane or dodecane] at T = 303.15 K, [sulfolane (1) + alcohol (2) + heptane (3)] at T = 303.15 K. Carboxylic acid refers to acetic acid, propanoic acid, butanoic acid, 2-methylpropanoic acid, pentanoic acid and 3-methylbutanoic acid. Alcohol refers to methanol, ethanol, 1- propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol and 2-methyl-2-propanol. Ternary liquid- liquid equilibrium data are essential for the design and selection of solvents used from liquid- liquid extraction process. Abstract vi The separation of carboxylic acids from hydrocarbons and the alcohols from hydrocarbons is commercially lucrative consideration and is an important reason of this study. The separation of carboxylic acids or alcohols from hydrocarbons by extraction with sulfolane was found to be feasible as all selectivity values obtained are greater than 1. The modified Hlavatý, beta (β) and log equations were fitted to the experimental binodal data measured in this work. Hlavatý gave the best overall fit as compared to beta ( ) and log function. The NRTL (Non-Random, Two Liquid) and UNIQUAC Universal Quasichemical) model were used to correlate the experimental tie-lines and calculate the phase compositions of the ternary systems. The correlation work served three purposes:  to summarise experimental data  to test theories of liquid mixtures  prediction of related thermodynamics properties. The final part of the study was devoted to the determination of the excess molar volumes of mixtures of [sulfolane (1) + alcohol (2)] at T = 298.15 K, T = 303.15 K and T = 309.15 K. Density was used to determine the excess molar volumes of the mixtures of [sulfolane (1) + alcohols (2)]. Alcohol refers to methanol, ethanol, 1- propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol, 2-methyl-2-propanol. The work was done to investigate the effect of temperature on excess molar volumes of binary mixtures of alcohols and sulfolane, as well as to get some idea of interactions involved between an alcohol and sulfolane. The excess molar volume data for each binary mixture was fitted in the Redlich–Kister equation to correlate the composition dependence of the excess property. / National Research Foundation

Submitted in fulfilment of the academic requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: Chemistry, Durban University of Technology, 2012. / National Research Foundation

Thesis (MSc (Chemistry and Polymer Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / In a Fischer-Tropsch refinery environment carboxylate complexes are of interest since the carboxylic acids present in product streams lead to formation of carboxylate salts through leaching of process equipment and catalysts. It is widely accepted that decomposition of organic (carboxylic) acids catalysed by metals is controlled by the decomposition of metal salts or complexes previously formed with such an acid. The determination of physical and structural properties of caboxylate complexes could contribute to the explanation of the mechanism involved in the decarboxylation of carboxylic acids. We have successfully determined the molecular structures of copper(II) allyl acetate, zinc(II) formiate, zinc(II) isovaleroate, yttrium(III) acetate and lanthanum(III) propionate. It has been established that zinc has a preferred tetrahedral coordination in carboxylate complexes compared to the octahedral coordination of copper, lanthanum and yttrium complexes considered. The carboxylate O-C-O angle in these complexes range between 119° and 125° and the conformation of the carbon chains is anti in all cases except for copper(II) allyl acetate, where a gauche conformation is adopted. Using structural methods such as TGA, infrared spectroscopy and X-Ray powder diffraction and combining it with existing knowledge of yttrium carboxylates and the effective use of computational chemistry – to calculate favourable internal parameters, using DFT calculations and B-LYP level theory - a likely structure for yttrium(III) propionate is proposed. The use of infrared measurements were especially valuable towards predictions of possible structures and the postulations of Nakamoto, on the relation between carboxylate carbonyl stretching frequencies and the nature of the carboxylate bond, could be used to accurately identify – except for the formiate salts of zinc(II) and yttrium(III) – the bonding mode present in the relevant compounds. We systematically tuned the non-cyclic organic part of the mono carboxylate ligand by lengthening and branching of the alkyl chain and determined that thermal decomposition and heat capacity of zinc complexes are a strong function of the ligand, while the behaviour of analogous yttrium complexes is hardly affected. The thermal investigation of lanthanum(III) propionate yielded a result that is in contrast with a previous study - where only CO2 was reported as byproduct - and we report an alternative result which indicates formation of symmetric ketones when the compound is heated to a high enough temperature. Earlier general assumptions about the layer-like crystal structure of lanthanum complexes coordinated by alkyl chain carboxylate are contradicted by the crystallographic data we collected for this compound. The crystal packing of lanthanum(III) propionate clearly shows a layered structure which is unexpected for a carboxylate with such a short alkyl.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2004.

O objetivo deste trabalho é estudar a reatividade de acilação de celulose por anidridos de ácidos carboxílicos sob condições homogêneas em solventes apróticos dipolares (SAD), incluindo LiCl/N,N-dimetilacetamida (DMAC) e líquidos iônicos (LIs)/SAD. Os factores que contribuem para a reatividade foram quantificados através do estudo da dependência das constantes de velocidade e parâmetros de ativação sobre a composição do solvente. Após estabelecer que a condutividade é uma técnica experimental adequada para calcular as constantes de velocidade, foi estudada a acilação não catalisada e catalisada de celulose microcristalina, MCC. Foram empregados anidridos de ácidos carboxílicos com diferentes grupos acila (acetil a hexanoil; Nc = 2 a 6) nos seguintes sistemas de solventes: LiCl/DMAC, misturas de LI cloreto de 1-alil-3-metilimidazólio ( AlMeImCl ) e acetonitrila (MeCN), DMAC , dimetilsulfóxido (DMSO ) e sulfolano. Na celulose, a unidade anidra de glucose possui um grupo hidroxila primário e dois hidroxilas secundários. Usamos ciclohexilmetanol, CHM, e trans-1 ,2- ciclo-hexanodiol, CHD , como compostos modelo para os grupos (OH) primário e secundários, respectivamente. As razões das constantes de velocidade de acilação dos compostos modelo (CHM; Prim-OH) e (CHD; SEC-OH) foram empregados, após correção, a fim de dividir as constantes de velocidade global da reação de MCC em contribuições dos grupos (OH) presentes. Para os compostos modelo, verificou-se que k3 (Prim-OH) /k3 (Sec-OH) > 1, semelhante as reações de celulose sob condições heterogéneas; esta relação aumenta como uma função do aumento da Nc. As constantes de velocidade globais e parciais de acilação de MCC diminuim de anidrido etanóico a butanóico e, em seguida, aumentam para anidrido pentanóico e hexanóico, devido a mudanças sutis em - e compensações da entalpia e entropia de ativação. As constantes de velocidade para a acetilação de MCC, por anidrido etanóico na presença de concentrações crescentes do LI em DMAC, MeCN, DMSO e sulfolano foram calculados a partir de dados de condutividade. As constantes de velocidade de terceira ordem mostraram dependência linear sobre [LI]. Estes resultados foram explicados assumindo que o reagente é celulose ligado ao LI por ligação de hidrogénio. Isto foi confirmado pelos dados cinéticos da acetilação de CHM, espectroscopia de IV do último composto, e de celobiose nas misturas de LI/SAD e condutividade das misturas de solventes binários, na ausência e presença de MCC. A acetilação de celulose é mais rápida nas misturas de em LI com DMAC e DMSO do que com MeCN e sulfolano. Esta diferença é explicada, em parte, com base na alta viscosidade das soluções de biopolímeros em LI/sulfolano. Obteve-se mais informações sobre os efeitos do solvente molecular a prtir das propriedades microscópicas dos solventes e simulações por dinâmica molecular, DM. Os dados solvatocrômicos (polaridade empírica e basicidade) têm mostrado a importância da basicidade do solvente; solventes mais básicos formam ligações de hidrogênio mais fortes com os grupos (OH) da celulose, aumentando sua acessibilidade e, consequentemente sua reatividade. Este é o caso de DMAC e DMSO. Os resultados das simulações por DM indicaram a formação de ligações de hidrogénio, entre os grupos (OH) da unidade de glucose anidra do MCC, (Cl-) de LI, e o dipolo do DMAC e DMSO . Observamos que a acilação de celulose em LiCl/DMAC é eficientemente catalisada por imidazol, mas não pelo cloreto de tosila. Resultados de IV de FT e RMN de 1H indicaram a formação de N-acilimidazol que é o agente de acilação. As constantes globais e parciais de velocidade de acilação do MCC diminuiram de anidirido etanóico a butanóico e depois aumentou para anidrido pentanóico e hexanóico, devido a mudanças sutis em- e compensações da entalpia e entropia de ativação. / The objective of this work is to study the reactivity in cellulose acylation by carboxylic acid anhydrides under homogeneous conditions in dipolar aprotic solvents (DAS), including LiCl/ N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAC) and ionic liquids (ILs)/DAS. Factors that contribute to reactivity were quantified by studying the dependence of reaction rates on temperature and solvent composition. After establishing that conductivity is an appropriate experimental technique to calculate the rate constants, we studied the kinetics of the homogeneous uncatalyzed and catalyzed acylation of microcrystalline cellulose, MCC, with carboxylic acid anhydrides with different acyl chain-length (Nc; ethanoic to hexanoic) in the following solvent systems: LiCl/DMAC; mixtures of the IL, 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, (AlMeImCl) and acetonitrile (MeCN), DMAC, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and sulfolane. The anhydroglucose unit of cellulose carries one primary- and two secondary hydroxyl groups. We used cyclohexylmethanol, CHM, and trans-1,2-cyclohexanediol, CHD, as model compounds for the hydroxyl groups of the anhydroglucose unit of cellulose. The ratios of rate constants of acylation of primary (CHM; Prim-OH) and secondary (CHD; Sec-OH) groups were employed, after correction, in order to split the overall rate constants of the reaction of MCC into contributions from the discrete OH groups. For the model compounds, we have found that k3 (Prim-OH)/k3 (Sec-OH) > 1, akin to reactions of cellulose under heterogeneous conditions; this ratio increases as a function of increasing Nc. The overall and partial rate constants of the acylation of MCC decrease from ethanoic- to butanoic anhydride and then increase for pentanoic- and hexanoic anhydride, due to subtle changes in- and compensations of the enthalpy and entropy of activation. Rate constants for the acetylation of MCC, by ethanoic anhydride in the presence of increasing concentrations of the ionic liquid, IL, 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride in dipolar aprotic solvents, DAS, N,N-dimethylacetamide, DMAC, acetonitrile, MeCN, dimethylsulfoxide, DMSO and sulfolane, have been calculated from conductivity data. The third order rate constants showed a linear dependence on [IL]. These results have been explained by assuming that the reactant is cellulose hydrogen-bonded to the IL. This is corroborated by kinetic data of the acetylation of cyclohexyl methanol, FTIR spectroscopy of the latter compound, and cellobiose in mixtures of IL/DAS, and conductivity of the binary solvent mixtures in absence, and presence of MCC. Cellulose acetylation is faster in IL/DMAC and IL/DMSO than in IL/MeCN and IL/Sulfolane. This difference is explained, in part, based the high viscosity of the biopolymer solutions in IL-Sulfolane. Additional explanation came from microscopic solvents properties and molecular dynamics, MD simulations. The solvatochromic data (empirical polarity and basicity) have shown the importance of solvent basicity; basic solvents hydrogen-bond to the hydroxyl groups of cellulose increasing its accessibility, hence its reactivity. This is the case of DMAC and DMSO. Results of MD simulations indicated hydrogen-bond formation between the hydroxyl groups of the anhydroglucose unit of MCC, (Cl-) of the IL, and the dipole of the DMAC and DMSO. It has been observed that cellulose acylation in LiCl/DMAC is efficiently catalyzed by imidazole, but not by p-tosyl chloride. FTIR and 1H NMR have indicated the formation of N-acylimidazole which is the acylating agent. The overall and partial rate constants of the acylation of MCC decreased from ethanoic- to butanoic-anhydride and then increased for pentanoic- and hexanoic anhydride, due to subtle changes in- and compensations of the enthalpy and entropy of activation.

O objetivo deste trabalho é estudar a reatividade de acilação de celulose por anidridos de ácidos carboxílicos sob condições homogêneas em solventes apróticos dipolares (SAD), incluindo LiCl/N,N-dimetilacetamida (DMAC) e líquidos iônicos (LIs)/SAD. Os factores que contribuem para a reatividade foram quantificados através do estudo da dependência das constantes de velocidade e parâmetros de ativação sobre a composição do solvente. Após estabelecer que a condutividade é uma técnica experimental adequada para calcular as constantes de velocidade, foi estudada a acilação não catalisada e catalisada de celulose microcristalina, MCC. Foram empregados anidridos de ácidos carboxílicos com diferentes grupos acila (acetil a hexanoil; Nc = 2 a 6) nos seguintes sistemas de solventes: LiCl/DMAC, misturas de LI cloreto de 1-alil-3-metilimidazólio ( AlMeImCl ) e acetonitrila (MeCN), DMAC , dimetilsulfóxido (DMSO ) e sulfolano. Na celulose, a unidade anidra de glucose possui um grupo hidroxila primário e dois hidroxilas secundários. Usamos ciclohexilmetanol, CHM, e trans-1 ,2- ciclo-hexanodiol, CHD , como compostos modelo para os grupos (OH) primário e secundários, respectivamente. As razões das constantes de velocidade de acilação dos compostos modelo (CHM; Prim-OH) e (CHD; SEC-OH) foram empregados, após correção, a fim de dividir as constantes de velocidade global da reação de MCC em contribuições dos grupos (OH) presentes. Para os compostos modelo, verificou-se que k3 (Prim-OH) /k3 (Sec-OH) > 1, semelhante as reações de celulose sob condições heterogéneas; esta relação aumenta como uma função do aumento da Nc. As constantes de velocidade globais e parciais de acilação de MCC diminuim de anidrido etanóico a butanóico e, em seguida, aumentam para anidrido pentanóico e hexanóico, devido a mudanças sutis em - e compensações da entalpia e entropia de ativação. As constantes de velocidade para a acetilação de MCC, por anidrido etanóico na presença de concentrações crescentes do LI em DMAC, MeCN, DMSO e sulfolano foram calculados a partir de dados de condutividade. As constantes de velocidade de terceira ordem mostraram dependência linear sobre [LI]. Estes resultados foram explicados assumindo que o reagente é celulose ligado ao LI por ligação de hidrogénio. Isto foi confirmado pelos dados cinéticos da acetilação de CHM, espectroscopia de IV do último composto, e de celobiose nas misturas de LI/SAD e condutividade das misturas de solventes binários, na ausência e presença de MCC. A acetilação de celulose é mais rápida nas misturas de em LI com DMAC e DMSO do que com MeCN e sulfolano. Esta diferença é explicada, em parte, com base na alta viscosidade das soluções de biopolímeros em LI/sulfolano. Obteve-se mais informações sobre os efeitos do solvente molecular a prtir das propriedades microscópicas dos solventes e simulações por dinâmica molecular, DM. Os dados solvatocrômicos (polaridade empírica e basicidade) têm mostrado a importância da basicidade do solvente; solventes mais básicos formam ligações de hidrogênio mais fortes com os grupos (OH) da celulose, aumentando sua acessibilidade e, consequentemente sua reatividade. Este é o caso de DMAC e DMSO. Os resultados das simulações por DM indicaram a formação de ligações de hidrogénio, entre os grupos (OH) da unidade de glucose anidra do MCC, (Cl-) de LI, e o dipolo do DMAC e DMSO . Observamos que a acilação de celulose em LiCl/DMAC é eficientemente catalisada por imidazol, mas não pelo cloreto de tosila. Resultados de IV de FT e RMN de 1H indicaram a formação de N-acilimidazol que é o agente de acilação. As constantes globais e parciais de velocidade de acilação do MCC diminuiram de anidirido etanóico a butanóico e depois aumentou para anidrido pentanóico e hexanóico, devido a mudanças sutis em- e compensações da entalpia e entropia de ativação. / The objective of this work is to study the reactivity in cellulose acylation by carboxylic acid anhydrides under homogeneous conditions in dipolar aprotic solvents (DAS), including LiCl/ N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAC) and ionic liquids (ILs)/DAS. Factors that contribute to reactivity were quantified by studying the dependence of reaction rates on temperature and solvent composition. After establishing that conductivity is an appropriate experimental technique to calculate the rate constants, we studied the kinetics of the homogeneous uncatalyzed and catalyzed acylation of microcrystalline cellulose, MCC, with carboxylic acid anhydrides with different acyl chain-length (Nc; ethanoic to hexanoic) in the following solvent systems: LiCl/DMAC; mixtures of the IL, 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, (AlMeImCl) and acetonitrile (MeCN), DMAC, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and sulfolane. The anhydroglucose unit of cellulose carries one primary- and two secondary hydroxyl groups. We used cyclohexylmethanol, CHM, and trans-1,2-cyclohexanediol, CHD, as model compounds for the hydroxyl groups of the anhydroglucose unit of cellulose. The ratios of rate constants of acylation of primary (CHM; Prim-OH) and secondary (CHD; Sec-OH) groups were employed, after correction, in order to split the overall rate constants of the reaction of MCC into contributions from the discrete OH groups. For the model compounds, we have found that k3 (Prim-OH)/k3 (Sec-OH) > 1, akin to reactions of cellulose under heterogeneous conditions; this ratio increases as a function of increasing Nc. The overall and partial rate constants of the acylation of MCC decrease from ethanoic- to butanoic anhydride and then increase for pentanoic- and hexanoic anhydride, due to subtle changes in- and compensations of the enthalpy and entropy of activation. Rate constants for the acetylation of MCC, by ethanoic anhydride in the presence of increasing concentrations of the ionic liquid, IL, 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride in dipolar aprotic solvents, DAS, N,N-dimethylacetamide, DMAC, acetonitrile, MeCN, dimethylsulfoxide, DMSO and sulfolane, have been calculated from conductivity data. The third order rate constants showed a linear dependence on [IL]. These results have been explained by assuming that the reactant is cellulose hydrogen-bonded to the IL. This is corroborated by kinetic data of the acetylation of cyclohexyl methanol, FTIR spectroscopy of the latter compound, and cellobiose in mixtures of IL/DAS, and conductivity of the binary solvent mixtures in absence, and presence of MCC. Cellulose acetylation is faster in IL/DMAC and IL/DMSO than in IL/MeCN and IL/Sulfolane. This difference is explained, in part, based the high viscosity of the biopolymer solutions in IL-Sulfolane. Additional explanation came from microscopic solvents properties and molecular dynamics, MD simulations. The solvatochromic data (empirical polarity and basicity) have shown the importance of solvent basicity; basic solvents hydrogen-bond to the hydroxyl groups of cellulose increasing its accessibility, hence its reactivity. This is the case of DMAC and DMSO. Results of MD simulations indicated hydrogen-bond formation between the hydroxyl groups of the anhydroglucose unit of MCC, (Cl-) of the IL, and the dipole of the DMAC and DMSO. It has been observed that cellulose acylation in LiCl/DMAC is efficiently catalyzed by imidazole, but not by p-tosyl chloride. FTIR and 1H NMR have indicated the formation of N-acylimidazole which is the acylating agent. The overall and partial rate constants of the acylation of MCC decreased from ethanoic- to butanoic-anhydride and then increased for pentanoic- and hexanoic anhydride, due to subtle changes in- and compensations of the enthalpy and entropy of activation.