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Cellulose Nanocrystals - Properties and Uses

Cellulose nanocrystals are the nanomaterials that are acquired from the most opulent and relatively limitless in quantity polymer, cellulose. These nanomaterials are quite in demand for industrial applications due to their mechanical, optical, and rheological properties. Cellulose nanocrystals mainly derived from naturally occurring cellulose fibers are biodegradable and inexhaustible in nature and consequently they fill in as a maintainable and easily disposable material for general applications. These nanocrystals are essentially hydrophilic in nature; in any case, they can be surface functionalized to fulfill different necessities, for example, the creation of high-performance nanocomposites, utilizing hydrophobic polymer matrices. Innovative applications in various fields such as biomedical engineering, material sciences, electronics, catalysis require cellulose nanocrystals.


Cellulose is a linear biopolymer acquired from plant cells, for example, wood and cotton. It is the most plenteous polymer in nature and has properties like great biocompatibility, low density, high quality, low cost and great mechanical properties. The cellulose fibers, if treated mechanically or chemically, can be converted into cellulose nanofibers or cellulose nanocrystals that have remarkable properties compared with the original cellulosic fiber and different materials regularly utilized as reinforcements in composite materials. Nanocellulose in its distinctive structures demonstrates an expanding interest in application areas, for example, packaging, paper and paperboard, food industry, medical items, paints, cosmetics, and optical sensors.
Cellulose is mainly found in plants, but bacteria, algae, some sea animals also can produce cellulose in large quantities.
Bulk cellulose comprises of exceedingly ordered, crystalline regions alongside some amorphous regions in fluctuating proportions, depending on its source. As these microfibrils are subjected to a blend of mechanical, chemical, and enzyme treatments, the highly crystalline regions of the cellulose microfibrils are removed, thus cellulose nanocrystals are formed.
CNC is a reasonable nanomaterial for an extensive variety of utilizations, for example, enzyme immobilization, synthesis of antimicrobial and medical materials, green catalysis, biosensing, synthesis of drug transporter in diagnostic and therapeutic medicine, and so forth.
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