POLY(LACTIC ACID)-GRAFTED CELLULOSE NANOFIBER AND PRODUCTION METHOD THEREFOR

摘要

Provided are: poly(lactic acid)-grafted cellulose nanofibers suitable for use as a molding material; and a method for producing the cellulose nanofibers. The present invention relates to poly(lactic acid)-grafted cellulose nanofibers, which comprise a grafted cellulose comprising: cellulose nanofibers; and graft chains bonded to the cellulose constituting the cellulose nanofibers, the graft chains being poly(lactic acid). The poly(lactic acid)-grafted cellulose nanofibers give an infrared absorption spectrum in which the ratio of the absorbance assigned to poly(lactic acid) C=O to the absorbance assigned to cellulose O-H is 0.01-1,000. The present invention further relates to a method for producing poly(lactic acid)-grafted cellulose nanofibers which includes a step in which lactide is graft-polymerized with cellulose constituting cellulose nanofibers, in the presence of an organic polymerization catalyst comprising an amine and a salt obtained by reacting said amine with an acid. Preferred as the organic polymerization catalyst are 4-dimethylaminopyridine and 4-dimethylaminopyridinium triflate.