Patent ID: 8287692

Claim:
A process for producing cellulose nanofibers comprising treating a cellulosic material with an oxidizing agent in water in the presence of an N-oxyl compound represented by formula 1 below: wherein R 1 and R 2 are each independently hydrogen or a C 1 -C 6 straight or branched alkyl group; and (i) one of R 4 or R 5 is â€”OR, â€”OCOR or â€”OSO 2 R wherein R is a straight or branched carbon chain having 4 or less carbon atoms, and the other of R 4 or R 5 is hydrogen, and R 3 and R 6 are methyl, or (ii) R 4 is hydrogen, and R 5 , R 3 and R 6 are taken together with a piperidine ring to form an aza-adamantane compound having formula 2 below: or a mixture thereof, and a compound selected from the group consisting of bromides, iodides and mixtures thereof to prepare oxidized cellulose, and microfibrillating the oxidized cellulose to convert it into nanofibers.