Water-soluble, non-ionic cellulose esters with a degree of substitution in the range from 0.11 to 3.0 were synthesized homogeneously using ionic liquids (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, and 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride) as reaction medium. Highly substituted 3,6,9-trioxadecanoic acid esters and 3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid esters of cellulose were obtained via the activation of the carboxylic acids with N,N'-carbonyldiimidazole. The products were characterized by the means of FTIR-, H-1- and C-13 NMR spectroscopy.