Ultrathin films of cellulose were functionalized with iron protoporphyrin IX (FePP). Spin-coating allows the production of silylated cellulose films in a controlled way. Cellulose regeneration is achieved through the hydrolyzation of the silane groups, exposing the film to acidic vapors. To enhance the reactivity of the cellulose surface to the protoporphyrin, carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) was used as an activator. The effect of different spacers on the porphyrin grafting such as 1,8-diaminooctane and 1,4-phenylenediamine was studied. The highest level of cellulose functionalization with FePP was achieved when both the cellulose film and FePP were activated by CDI and a diaminoalkane was used as a spacer between the surface and the FePP. ATR/MIR (attenuated total reflection in multiple internal reflections) was performed in situ to follow the kinetics of the different chemical reactions with the cellulose surface. ATR/MIR proved again to be a powerful tool for probing the surface reaction. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy permitted the elemental analysis of the cellulose surface after the chemical modification.