A method for conversion of carboxyl groups present on the surface of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils to N-acylureas using carbodiimide was developed. A TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibril with free carboxyl groups (TOCN-COOH) dispersed in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) is prepared from a bleached kraft pulp, and then the TOCN-COOH is reacted with either N,N 0 -diisopropylcarbodiimide (DIC) or N,N 0 -dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) under apparently homogeneous conditions. FT-IR and solid-state 13 C NMR analyses showed that the reaction products contained N-acylurea groups, and yields were [80%. Conversion ratios of carboxyl groups to N-acylureas are approximately 80 and 60%, when DIC and DCC, respectively, of 5 mol per mole of carboxyl groups are used as the reagents. X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrated that neither crystallinity nor crystal width of the original wood cellulose I structure was changed by the N-acylurea formation. The isolated and never-dried TOCN-N-acylureas are nano-dispersed in DMF but not in i-PrOH or dioxane. Pellets of the TOCN-Nacylureas had water-contact angles of[70°.