Preparation of Nanocellulose: A Review

The development of nanocellulose has attracted significant interest in the last few decades due to its unique and potentially useful features. Novel nanocelluloses boost the strongly expanding field of sustainable materials and nanocomposites. Their potential areas of application include reinforcing agents in nanocomposites, paper, biodegradable films, barriers for packaging, stabilizing agents in dispersions for technical films and membranes, additives in food, texturing agents in cosmetics, and medical devices such as wound dressings and bioactive implants. This review organizes current knowledge on the isolation of microfibrillated and nanofibrillated cellulose from plant sources. Details of the extraction of fibrils from cellulose are reviewed. In addition, the terms cellulose “microfiber” and cellulose “nanofiber” are formally defined and distinguished.