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Journal of Polymer & Composites Review Article Special issue

Advances in Nanocellulose-Enhanced Polymers and Composites: Structure, Performance, and Applications

  1. Prasanthi Samathoti Department of pharmaceutics, Mohan Babu School of Pharmaceutical Science (Erstwhile Sree vidyanikethan College of Pharmacy), Mohan Babu University, Tirupati
  2. Sindhu Chenna Department of pharmaceutics, Mohan Babu School of Pharmaceutical Science (Erstwhile Sree vidyanikethan College of Pharmacy), Mohan Babu University, Tirupati
  3. Bhavani Mudamala Department of pharmaceutics, Mohan Babu School of Pharmaceutical Science (Erstwhile Sree vidyanikethan College of Pharmacy), Mohan Babu University, Tirupati
  4. Kalyani Chambeti Department of pharmaceutics, Mohan Babu School of Pharmaceutical Science (Erstwhile Sree vidyanikethan College of Pharmacy), Mohan Babu University, Tirupati
  5. Shweta Chandra Department of pharmaceutics, Mohan Babu School of Pharmaceutical Science (Erstwhile Sree vidyanikethan College of Pharmacy), Mohan Babu University, Tirupati
  6. Harish Chakka Department of pharmaceutics, Mohan Babu School of Pharmaceutical Science (Erstwhile Sree vidyanikethan College of Pharmacy), Mohan Babu University, Tirupati
  7. Reddy Subramanya Busineni Department of pharmaceutics, Mohan Babu School of Pharmaceutical Science (Erstwhile Sree vidyanikethan College of Pharmacy), Mohan Babu University, Tirupati
  8. B. Anushna Department of pharmaceutics, Mohan Babu School of Pharmaceutical Science (Erstwhile Sree vidyanikethan College of Pharmacy), Mohan Babu University, Tirupati

Abstract

The most common biopolymer is cellulose, which can be converted into nanocellulose (NC) the sustainable nanomaterial possessing the outstanding characteristic of biodegradability, renewability, low density, high aspect ratio, and excellent mechanical performance. Such distinctive features make NC a promising filler in polymer and composite systems. Recent developments in the preparation of nanocellulose using various natural and artificial sources have facilitated scalable production processes that have less energy requirements and are cost effective. The focus in this review is given on practical preparation methods of nanocellulose and how they affect structure property relationships when incorporated into polymer matrices. Several characterization methods, such as rheological behaviour, powder flow properties, and thermal analyses are presented in order to demonstrate their use in the evaluation of NC-based composites. Special attention is paid to the multifunctional use of polymer nanocellulose composites in the field of structural materials, barrier films, biomedical scaffolds, drug delivery systems, aerogels, wound healing, biosensing, and bioimaging. Comparing nanocellulose to neat polymers, representative studies demonstrate that it can improve biodegradation rates, decrease oxygen permeability by up to 80 times, and increase tensile strength by 20–300%. The extended applicability of nanocellulose shows the possibility of using the material as a sustainable reinforcement of the next generation, high-performance, and environmentally friendly polymer composites.

Keywords

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