METHOD FOR PRODUCING CYCLIC ESTER-MODIFIED GLUCAN DERIVATIVE

摘要

A process for producing a glucan derivative modified with a cyclic ester with a highly suppressed homopolymerization of a cyclic ester is provided. In a production process for a modified glucan derivative, by allowing a glucan derivative having a hydroxyl group to react with a cyclic ester in a solvent in the presence of a ring-opening polymerization catalyst to give a modified glucan derivative in which the cyclic ester is graft-polymerized to the glucan derivative, (1) the ring-opening polymerization catalyst is a metal complex which by itself does not initiate the polymerization of the cyclic ester; (2) the solvent comprises an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent having a solubility in water of not more than 10% by weight at 20°C; and (3) the proportion of the solvent is not less than 60 parts by weight relative to 100 parts by weight of the glucan derivative having a hydroxyl group.