der Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf

This thesis would not have been possible without the help and support of many, many people. Therefore, I would like to dedicate this page to those, who made my research viable in many different ways. First of all, I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. H. Ritter for the interesting subject, for giving me the opportunity to work independently, and for valuable discussions. I also thank him for his continuous support and encouragement during my scientific development and for the opportunity to participate in international conferences. Secondly, I would like to thank PD Dr. Klaus Schaper for his willingness to supervise the thesis as a second reviewer. Furthermore, I would like to thank the "Gründerstiftung zur Förderung von Forschung und des wissenschaftlichem Nachwuchs an der Heinrich-Heine-Universität " as well as the "Dr. Jost-Henkel Stiftung " for their financial support. BASF AG is thanked for providing cellulose and ionic liquids. Many thanks to Dr. Karsten Koppe for measuring special NMR spectra. At this point I would like to thank the whole Ritter group for a great working atmosphere, fruitful collaborations and continued support. Our shared experiences such as Freiburg, West-kapelle, or countless barbecue and "Schnitzel " nights are unforgettable. Furthermore, I would like to thank Mina for her constant willingness to help and Martin for supporting me in the lab