5-(Carbonyloxy succinic)-benzene-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (BSTA) was synthesized and applied as an effective cross-linking agent for cotton fabrics. In this study, BSTA was analyzed and compared with two other extensively investigated poly(carboxylic acid)s, 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) and 3,3'4,4'- benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid (BPTCA), in cross-linking cellulose. Possessing both aromatic and aliphatic carboxylic acid groups and respective properties, BSTA can cross-link cellulose as efficiently as BTCA without causing significant loss of tensile strength of the products. In addition, BSTA exhibits better hydrophilicity and higher affinity to cellulose than the aromatic acid. BSTA is able to produce anhydride under high temperature but it is not a rate-determining step in the esterification process. The kinetic data of BTCA, BPTCA, and BSTA with cellulose were calculated by measuring the concentrations of the carboxylic acids on the fabric, showing an order of BPTCA