3.1. Self-catalytic effects of clay nanofillers
At first we observed that interlamellar graft copolymerisation of LA
monomer onto alternating copolymer can occur in the presence of
inorganic or organically modified Mt which execute the dual functions
of: (1) a catalyst, for in situ graft copolymerisation and (2) a nanofiller,
for the formation of the CPNs without utilizing the conventional
catalysts such as hazardous tin(oct)2. Synthesis pathways for the
poly(MA-alt-1-octadecene)-g-PLA/organoclay nanocomposites represented
as follows (Fig. 1):