セルロースナノファイバーに関する研究開発の動向と最前線

摘要

Research and development of cellulose nanofibers as new and wood biomass materials have been carried out at the global level. In this paper, the backgrounds of cellulose nanofiber researches are first introduced, and then present situations, treads and of overview in terms of cellulose nanofiber researches primarily in Japan, Canada and Sweden are described. In various nanocelluloses, TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCN) developed in our laboratory are specific and have some advantageous properties as new and bio-based nanomaterials. TOCNs with 3-4 nm widths and high aspect ratios can be completely individualized by mild mechanical disintegration of TEMPO-oxidized celluloses in water, and have abundant anionically-charge sodium carboxylate groups on the crystalline cellulose microfibril surfaces in high densities. Fundamental and application studies of TOCNs obtained in our laboratory and by collaborations with other groups are described for future advanced applications of TOCNs in high-tech fields.%木質系をはじめとする再生産可能なバイオマスの質的および量的利用促進は，循環型社会基盤の構築，化石資源の使用量削減と地球温暖化防止，脱石油社会化，生分解性材料への転換による廃棄物量の削減等を目標に，産官学で精力的な検討が進められている．