Esters of cellulosic materials and diacids and method of making thereof

1. A compound comprising units of an ester of a cellulosic material and a diacid, each unit represented by Formula I

wherein for each unit represented by Formula I, R1, R2, and R3 are the same or different, and each of which is selected from —H, —COR′, —R′″, or —COR″COOH, with the proviso that the compound contains at least one type of —COR″COOH, and at least one type of —COR′; further wherein R′ is an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, or aromatic group;

R″ is an alkyl, alkenyl, or alkynyl group having 4 or more carbon atoms;

R′″ is an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, polyol, or aromatic group, and

wherein a degree of substitution is not less than 0.33 for —COR″COOH.

2. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R′ contains 1 to 18 carbons.

3. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R″ contains four to six carbons.

4. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R″ is —CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 —.

5. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R′″ contains 1 to 18 carbons.

6. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R′″ is methyl or ethyl.

7. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the compound contains between 10 and 10,000 units each represented by Formula I.

8. A method for making a compound comprising units of an ester of a cellulosic material and a diacid, each unit represented by Formula I

wherein for each unit represented by Formula I, R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are the same or different, and each of which is selected from —H, —COR′, —R′″, or —COR″COOH, with the proviso that the compound contains at least one type of —COR″COOH, and at least one type of —COR′; further wherein R′ is an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, or aromatic group;

R″ is an alkyl, alkenyl, or alkynyl group having 4 or more carbon atoms;

R′″ is an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, polyol, or aromatic group, and wherein a degree of substitution is not less than 0.33 for —COR″COOH, the method comprising the steps of

i) reacting a compound of formula II

wherein R 4 , R 5 , and R 6 can be the same or different, and each of which is selected from —H, —COR′, or —R′″, with the proviso that at least one of the R 4 , R 5 , and R 6 is —H, wherein R′ can be an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, or aromatic group, and wherein R′″ is an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, polyol, or aromatic group, with a compound of Formula III

wherein X is a halogen, wherein R″ is an alkyl, alkenyl, or alkynyl group having 4 or more carbon atoms, and wherein Ph is a phenyl group or substituted phenyl group, to produce an intermediate compound; and

ii) hydrogenating the intermediate compound to produce the compound comprising units of an ester of a cellulosic material and a diacid, each unit represented by Formula I.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein R′ contains 1 to 18 carbons.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein R′ contains four or more carbons.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein R′″ contains 1 to 18 carbons.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the compound contains between 10 and 10,000 units, each represented by Formula I.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein step i) takes place in a solvent selected from the group consisting of methyl ethyl ketone, tetrahydrofuran dimethyl sulfoxide, 1,3 dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, dimethylacetamide, dioxane, dimethylformamide, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, trichloromethane, dichloromethane, and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein step i) takes place at atmospheric pressure and a temperature of about 35° C. to about 100° C.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein step ii) comprises contacting hydrogen gas with the intermediate compound in the presence of a catalyst.

16. A compound having a chemical composition of Formula IV

wherein R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 can be the same or different, and each of which is selected from —H, —COR′, —R′″, or —COR″COOCH 2 Ph, with the proviso that at least one of the R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 is —COR″COOCH 2 Ph, wherein R′ is an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, or aromatic group, wherein R″ is an alkyl, alkenyl, or alkynyl group having 4 or more carbon atoms wherein R′″ is an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, polyol, or aromatic group, wherein Ph is a phenyl or substituted phenyl group, and wherein a degree of substitution is not less than 0.33 for —COR″COOCH 2 Ph.

17. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the compound contains one type of —COR″COOH, and R″ is a C 4 -C 10 alkylene group.

18. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the —COR″COOH is —CO(CH 2 ) 4 COOH, —CO(CH 2 ) 6 COOH, or —CO(CH 2 ) 8 COOH.

19. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the —COR′ is —COCH 3 , —COCH 2 CH 3 , or —CO(CH 2 ) 2 CH 3 .

20. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the compound contains two types of —COR′, and further wherein the two types of —COR′ are —COCH 3 and —COCH 2 CH 3 , or —COCH 3 and —CO(CH 2 ) 2 CH 3 .

21. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the —COR″COOH is —CO(CH 2 ) 4 COOH, and the —COR′ is —COCH 3 , —COCH 2 CH 3 , or —CO(CH 2 ) 2 CH 3 .

22. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the —COR″COOH is —CO(CH 2 ) 4 COOH, and the compound contains two types of —COR′, and further wherein the two types of —COR′ are —COCH 3 and —COCH 2 CH 3 , or —COCH 3 and —CO(CH 2 ) 2 CH 3 .

23. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the —COR″COOH is —CO(CH 2 ) 6 COOH, and the compound contains two types of —COR′, and further wherein the two types of —COR′ are —COCH 3 and —COCH 2 CH 3 , or —COCH 3 and —CO(CH 2 ) 2 CH 3 .

24. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the —COR″COOH is —CO(CH 2 ) 8 COOH, and the compound contains two types of —COR′, and further wherein the two types of —COR′ are —COCH 3 and —COCH 2 CH 3 , or —COCH 3 and —CO(CH 2 ) 2 CH 3 .