A new type of water-soluble ionic cellulose was obtained by means of the dissolution of cellulose in dimethylimidazolium methylphosphite at elevated temperatures over 120 °C. FTIR spectroscopy, (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis results revealed that the repeating unit of the water-soluble cellulose consists of a dialkylimidazolium cation and a phosphite anion bonded to cellulose. The degree of phosphorylation on the cellulose chain was between 0.4 and 1.3 depending on the reaction temperature and time. With an increasing degree of phosphorylation, water solubility was increased. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that the cellulose crystalline phase in the parent crystalline cellulose changed to an amorphous phase upon transformation into ionic cellulose. Thermogravimetric analysis showed the prepared phosphorylated cellulose was stable over 250 °C and a substantial amount of residue remained at 500 °C.
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