New cellulose-based hyperbranched derivatives having different degrees of branching were prepared via reaction of cellulose with acrylonitrile followed by reduction of nitrile groups and successive reaction with acrylonitrile or methylacrylate. First- (G = 1) and half- (G = 0.5) generation cellulose-based hyperbranched poly(propylene imine) or poly(amido amine) derivatives have been prepared with high reaction yield. The structure of the prepared derivatives was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared and C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (C-13 NMR). Thermal stability of the different cellulose-based hyperbranched derivatives were examined using thermogravimetric analysis to study the effect of branching on the thermal decomposition parameters. The onset degradation temperature and the activation energy of the thermal degradation decreased with increasing the branching of the cellulose-based hyperbranched derivatives. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.