Ethyl cellulose was grafted with ionic liquids in optimal yields (62.5–64.1%) and grafting degrees (5.93–7.90%) by the esterification of the hydroxyl groups in ethyl cellulose with the carboxyl groups in ionic liquids. In IR spectra of the ethyl cellulose derivatives exhibited C=O bond stretching vibration peaks at 1760 or 1740 cm⁻¹, confirming the formation of the ester groups and furnishing the evidence of the successful grafting of ethyl cellulose with ionic liquids. The ethyl cellulose grafted with ionic liquids could be formed into membranes by using the casting solution method. The resulting membranes exhibited good membrane forming ability and mechanical properties. The EC grafted with ionic liquids-based membranes demonstrated PCO₂/PCH₄ separation factors of up to 18.8, whereas the PCO₂/PCH₄ separation factor of 9.0 was obtained for pure EC membrane (both for CO₂/CH₄ mixture gas). The membranes also demonstrated an excellent gas permeability coefficient PCO₂, up to 199 Barrer, which was higher than pure EC (PCO₂ = 46.8 Barrer). Therefore, it can be concluded that the ionic liquids with imidazole groups are immensely useful for improving the gas separation performances of EC membranes.

Corn straw is an agricultural waste. The system for extracting cellulose from corn straw at a high temperature has been widely reported by researchers. However, the system for extracting cellulose from corn straw at a low temperature has been rarely reported. In this paper, a new system for extracting cellulose from corn straw at a low temperature was reported for the first time. This new system is designated as the low temperature laccase system (LTLS). Cellulose was successfully extracted from corn straw by the LTLS, and the used solution could be recycled. Therefore, the low temperature laccase system is an environmentally-friendly system. The cellulose content in corn straw is 30–40%. The yield of cellulose extracted by LTLS was 33%. The obtained cellulose product was creamy white. The extracted cellulose samples were characterized by using infrared spectroscopy (IR), thermogravimetry (TG), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results were consistent with that of standard cellulose. We confirmed that the LTLS extracted cellulose from corn straw with high purity.

Two kinds of novel nanoporous polycondensates (sc(Rf)) have been synthesized by two new preparation methods consisting of polycondensation and highly selective photocyclicaromataization of 1/3 helical cis-cis polyphenylacetylenes with polymerizable groups. By the original methods, new well-defined sheet polymers having nanopores or nanospaces have been synthesized for the first time. Their composite membranes, containing small amounts (1.0 wt%) of sc(Rf), had ultrahigh oxygen permeability (Po₂ > 1000 barrer), and their plots were beyond the Robeson’s upper bound line in the graph of oxygen permselectivity (α = Po₂/P_N2) versus Po₂. Both α and Po₂ values were enhanced by adding only small amounts (1.0 wt%) of sc(Rf). One of the sc(Rf)s synthesized on the base membrane surface showed the best performance, i.e., Po₂ = 5300 barrer and α = 2.5. The membrane surface was effectively covered by sc(Rf), judging from the contact angle values. It is thought that nanopores and nanospaces created in and between sc(Rf) molecules played an important role for the enhancement of both α and Po₂/P_N2.

The [Rh(L-alaninate)(cod)] (cod = 1,5-Cyclooctadiene) complex was synthesized and characterized. Asymmetric polymerizations of achiral phenylacetylene with two hydroxyl groups and a dodecyl group (DoDHPA) were performed by using the rhodium complex as the catalyst to provide polymers with a higher molecular weight (>10⁵) than the polymers obtained using the [Rh(cod)Cl]₂ initiator systems. The resulting polymers showed circular dichroism (CD) signals at approximately 310 and 470 nm, indicating that they have a preferential one-handed helical structure. The helix sense in the polymer main chain was controlled by the sign of the catalyst chirality. These findings suggest that the rhodium complex with a chiral amine is the true active species for the helix-sense-selective polymerization of DoDHPA. The [Rh(L-alaninate)(cod)] complex also exhibits high catalytic activity in the polymerization of phenylacetylene (PA) to give a high yield and molecular weight. All these results demonstrate that this Rh complex is an excellent catalyst for the polymerization of phenylacetylene monomers.

By regulating the order of monomer addition, four kinds of copolymer polyimides (PIs) were prepared using diethylene glycol dimethyl ether (DEGDE) and N, N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) as the solvents. The molecular weights of polyamide acids (PAAs) ranged from 3.8 × 10⁵ to 9.2 × 10⁵. All of the films displayed high glass transition temperatures ( T_gs) ranging from 313°C to 346°C. The polymer films show excellent thermal stabilities with 5% weight loss at temperatures of 505–524°C and char yields at 800°C were as high as 55% under nitrogen. The peel strengths of flexible copper (Cu) clads were in the range from 0.337 N cm⁻¹ to 0.598 N cm⁻¹. Compared to the molecular weight and peel strength of fresh PAA, those of PAAs prepared using DMAc significantly decreased after storage for 3 months at 0°C. However, when DEGDE was used as the solvent, the molecular weights of the PAAs and the thermal properties of the PIs were maintained after long storage time.