The DFG focus program cellulose and cellulose derivatives - Molecular and supramolecular structure design

Since May 1996 the 'Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft' (DFG) is sponsoring a special six-year research program ('Schwerpunktprogramm'), entitled 'Cellulose and cellulose derivatives - molecular and supramolecular structure design'. The program intends to stimulate fundamental research in cellulose chemistry and physics in the precommercial state and to support testing of innovative ideas in this area. it is expected to lead to new insights that are useful for the development of novel, value-added materials from cellulose. Topics of the research program include new sources and structures of cellulose itself new routes to regioselective synthesis and structure analysis of functionalized celluloses, approaches to structure formation of cellulosics in solution, and the construction of new supramolecular architectures including metal complexes of cellulosic macromolecules. The realization is based on a widespread multidisciplinary and multiinstitutional co-operation of a current total of about 35 individual projects German-wide. The paper describes the topics and results obtained up to now.