Recent progress on chemical modification of cellulose for high mechanical-performance Poly(lactic acid)/Cellulose composite: A review

Cellulose is one of the most promising fillers used for poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites owing to its natural abundance, complete biodegradability, and superb properties. Improving the compatibility between hydrophilic cellulose and hydrophobic PLA is a hot topic in literature for a long time, wherein surface chemical modification of cellulose have attracted the most attention. In this review, we summarized the research activities of recent five years that focus on the chemical modification strategies of cellulose used in PLA/cellulose composites. Two major classifications are carefully discussed, i.e., the reactions of small molecules modified cellulose such as esterification, oxidation/amidation and silanization, and reactions of polymers modified cellulose including PLA and other polymers. The discussion mainly focuses on the relationship between the structure of grafted small molecule/polymers and mechanical properties of PLA composites and addresses the current common problems that hinder the chemical modified cellulose from developing high-performance PLA/cellulose composites. We hope this review provide some possible inspiration for researchers to develop PLA/cellulose products with industrial value in the future.