Production Process of Glucan Derivative Modified With Cyclic Ester

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for producing a cyclic ester-modified glucan derivative wherein generation of homopolymers of the cyclic ester can be highly suppressed. Specifically disclosed is a method for producing a modified glucan derivative to which a cyclic ester is graft-polymerized, wherein a glucan derivative having a hydroxyl group and a cyclic ester are reacted in a solvent in the presence of a ring-opening polymerization catalyst. In this method, (1) the ring-opening polymerization catalyst is composed of a metal complex which does not initiate polymerization of the cyclic ester by itself; (2) the solvent is composed of an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent having a solubility in water at 20° C. of not more than 10% by weight; and (3) the ratio of the solvent is set at not less than 60 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the glucan derivative having a hydroxyl group.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.