Sources and Applications of Nano Cellulose Tailored Materials

Abstract

Cellulose is one of the most economical, biodegradable, and biosafe components found in nature. It is extracted from biomass found in forests or crops being treated enzymatically, chemically or mechanically. The extracted cellulose on acid hydrolysis and other mechanical treatment yields bacterial cellulose, nano-fibrillated cellulose, and cellulose nanocrystals. Nanosized cellulose can be attributed to the size reduction of the polymer chains in cellulose from micro to nanoscale. The size range was found suitable from 1–100 nm to be called nanosized cellulose. Nano cellulose hogged much limelight in the modern era due to its low toxicity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Due to the rapid evolution in this field, it is an obvious need to synthesize nano cellulose from different sources for its huge potential in pharmaceuticals and other industries. The tiny size made the nano cellulose mechanically strong and stable thus rendering it suitable for application, especially in pharmaceuticals, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. Recent research has been focused on the development and applications of nanocellulose products due to their eco-friendly nature and diversity of its application. However, there are challenges too, related to its scale-up, cost, and stability may be registered. This chapter will further discuss in detail the synthesis and preparations of nanosized cellulose and its theragnostic applications.