As the most important skeletal component in plants, the polysaccharide cellulose is an almost inexhaustible polymeric raw material with fascinating structure and properties. Formed by the repeated connection of D-glucose building blocks, the highly functionalized, linear stiff-chain homopolymer is characterized by its hydrophilicity, chirality, biodegradability, broad chemical modifying capacity, and its formation of versatile semicrystalline fiber morphologies. In view of the considerable increase in interdisciplinary cellulose research and product development over the past decade worldwide, this paper assembles the current knowledge in the structure and chemistry of cellulose, and in the development of innovative cellulose esters and ethers for coatings, films, membranes, building materials, drilling techniques, pharmaceuticals, and foodstuffs. New frontiers, including environmentally friendly cellulose fiber technologies, bacterial cellulose biomaterials, and in-vitro syntheses of cellulose are highlighted together with future aims, strategies, and perspectives of cellulose research and its applications.

Dextran, comprising a family of neutral polysaccharides consisting of an α-(1→6) linked d-glucose main chain with varying proportions of linkages and branches, depending on the bacteria used, is an interesting starting material for chemical modification reactions for the design of new functional polymers with promising properties. The review summarises recent results on structure characterisation of dextran including some comments on biosynthesis of this important class of biopolymers. Applications of dextran are discussed as well. Chemical modification reactions of dextran are increasingly studied for the structure and hence property design. The review highlights recent progress in esterification of dextran, both inorganic and organic polysaccharide esters, etherification reactions towards ionic and non-ionic ethers, and the huge variety of different conversions mainly developed for the binding of drugs. It summarises recent developments in the application of dextran derivatives with a focus on the chemical structures behind these materials such as prodrugs, bioactivity of inorganic dextran esters, heparin sulfate mimics, hydrogels, nanoparticles and self assembly structures for surface modification. Keywords Functionalised dextran • Structural analysis • Prodrugs • Nanostructures • Bioactivity Abbreviations AFM Atomic force microscopy AGU Anhydroglucose units AT Antithrombin AZT Azidothymidine BSH Na 2 B 12 H 11 SH BSA Bovine serum albumin CAC Critical association concentration CDI N,N -Carbonyldiimidazole CMC Critical micelle concentration CMD Carboxymethyl dextran CMDB Carboxymethyl dextran benzylamide CMDBSSu Carboxymethyl dextran benzylamidesulfonate sulfate CMDBSu Carboxymethyl dextran benzylamide sulfate CMDEE Carboxymethyl dextran ethyl ester CMDSu Carboxymethyl dextran sulfate COSY Two-dimensional correlated spectroscopy CsA Cyclosporin A 2D Two-dimensional Dach-Pt cis-Dihydroxo(cyclohexane-trans-l-1,2-diamine)platinum II DCC N,N -Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide T. Heinze et al.

Als wichtigster Gerüstbildner der Pflanzenwelt ist das Polysaccharid Cellulose ein nahezu unerschöpflicher polymerer Rohstoff mit einem faszinierenden Struktur‐ und Eigenschaftspotenzial. Durch reguläre Verknüpfung von D‐Glucose‐Bausteinen gebildet, zeichnet sich das hochfunktionalisierte lineare und kettensteife Homopolymer Cellulose durch Hydrophilie, Chiralität, Bioabbaubarkeit, breite chemische Modifizierbarkeit und den Aufbau vielfältiger teilkristalliner Fasermorphologien aus. Mit Blick auf die weltweit stark expandierende interdisziplinäre Celluloseforschung und Produktentwicklung der letzten Dekade verknüpft dieser Aufsatz den aktuellen Wissensstand zu Struktur und Chemie der Cellulose mit der Entwicklung innovativer Celluloseester und ‐ether für Beschichtungen, Filme, Membranen, Baustoffe, Bohrtechnologien, Pharmaka und Nahrungsmittel. Mit umweltfreundlichen Cellulosefaser‐Technologien, Bakteriencellulose‐Biomaterialien und In‐vitro‐Synthesen der Cellulose sind Wege ins Neuland einbezogen, ebenso Aussagen zu den weiteren Zielen, Strategien und Perspektiven der Celluloseforschung und ‐applikation.

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