He Meng, Lin Yanmei, Huang Yujia, Fang Yunhui, Xiong Xiaopeng
KZJ New Materials Group Co., Ltd., Xiamen 361199, China.
Key Laboratory for Advanced Technology in Environmental Protection of Jiangsu Province, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng 224051, China.
Molecules. 2025 Apr 4;30(7):1610. doi: 10.3390/molecules30071610.
Cellulose ethers (CEs), synthesized through the etherification of cellulose, have emerged as indispensable "green additives" in our modern industries, earning the moniker of industrial "monosodium glutamate" due to their unparalleled multifunctionality. Unlike traditional petroleum-based modifiers, CEs offer a unique combination of renewability, low toxicity, and tunable properties (e.g., water retention, thickening, and stimuli-responsiveness), making them pivotal for advancing sustainable construction practices. This review presents an overview of the preparation methods of various CEs and the applications of CEs especially in concrete and mortars as well as corresponding mechanisms. We systematically analyze the preparation methodologies (homogeneous vs. heterogeneous processes) and highlight the effect of molecular determinants (degree of substitution, molecular weight, functional groups) on the performances of CEs. CEs can enhance the workability and other properties of concrete and mortars primarily by acting as water-retaining and thickening agents to mitigate rapid water loss, improve hydration efficiency and cohesion. The effects of CEs on the delay of hydration and microstructure of concrete and mortars are also analyzed and highlighted. Beyond construction, we reviewed the current and emerging CE applications in biomedicine, tissue-engineering, petroleum industry and food engineering, highlighting their cross-disciplinary potential. This review provides some insights into the structure-property-application relationships of CEs and their brief historical developments, offering guidance for optimizing their utilizations especially in sustainable construction practices.
纤维素醚（CEs）是通过纤维素的醚化反应合成的，已成为现代工业中不可或缺的“绿色添加剂”，因其具有无与伦比的多功能性而赢得了工业“味精”的称号。与传统的石油基改性剂不同，CEs具有可再生、低毒性和可调节性能（如水保留、增稠和刺激响应性）的独特组合，使其成为推进可持续建筑实践的关键。本文综述了各种CEs的制备方法以及CEs在混凝土和砂浆中的应用及其相应机理。我们系统地分析了制备方法（均相法与非均相法），并强调了分子决定因素（取代度、分子量、官能团）对CEs性能的影响。CEs主要通过作为保水剂和增稠剂来减轻水分快速流失、提高水化效率和粘结力，从而提高混凝土和砂浆的工作性及其他性能。还分析并强调了CEs对混凝土和砂浆水化延迟及微观结构的影响。除了建筑领域，我们还综述了CEs在生物医学、组织工程、石油工业和食品工程中的当前及新兴应用，突出了它们的跨学科潜力。本文对CEs的结构-性能-应用关系及其简要的历史发展提供了一些见解，为优化其应用尤其是在可持续建筑实践中的应用提供了指导。
