Synthesis and structural characterizations of p-bromobenzoate and p-phenylbenzoate of cellulose were carried out. Cellulose derivatives were synthesized by esterification and Suzuki-Miyaura coupling. p-Bromobenzoylation produced 75 % yield by treating a mixture of microcrystalline or kraft cellulose, and p-bromobenzoyl chloride at 80 A degrees C in 1-N-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (Bmim)[Cl] for 2 h. The effects of reaction time, temperature and molar ratio of p-bromobenzoyl chloride/anhydroglucose unit on degree of substitution (DS) value of cellulose p-bromobenzoate were investigated. Cellulose p-bromobenzoate was then coupled with phenyl boronic acid with 87 % yield using standard Suzuki-Miyaura coupling conditions in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The structure as well as the properties of the obtained product was characterized using different analytical tools such as Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).