Nanocellulose: Fundamentals and Applications

Cellulose is a natural and abundant polymer which can be derived from a large variety of materials such as biomass, plants and animals etc. Nanocellulose demonstrates remarkable physicochemical, mechanical, biological and structural properties. Technological challenges such as efficient extraction of cellulose and nanocellulose from precursors are still a challenge. Several techniques such as chemical, mechanical, biological, and combined approaches are utilized for the preparation of desired nanocellulose. However, the processes available to manufacture nanocellulose are still expensive. One of the most common methods used to obtain cellulose nanocrystals is acid hydrolysis method with strong acids such as sulfuric or hydrochloric acid. Recently nanocellulose has gained great attention due to their biocompatibility, renewable nature, mechanical strength, and cost-effectiveness. Hence wide range of applications for nanocellulose are being explored such as wettable applications to make hydrophobic modification for nanocellulose, or as a carrier of antimicrobial substances, or as creating a barrier from UV rays or from chemicals, it is also being used for reinforcement, biomedical, automobiles electronic, and energy materials. However, utilization of nanocellulose is still an emerging field and faces lots of technical challenges to be utilized as a reliable, renewable, and sustainable material for modern applications.