Key advances in the chemical modification of nanocelluloses

Nanocelluloses, including nanocrystalline cellulose, nanofibrillated cellulose and bacterial cellulose nanofibers, have become fascinating building blocks for the design of new biomaterials. Derived from the must abundant and renewable biopolymer, they are drawing a tremendous level of attention, which certainly will continue to grow in the future driven by the sustainability trend. This growing interest is related to their unsurpassed quintessential physical and chemical properties. Yet, owing to their hydrophilic nature, their utilization is restricted to applications involving hydrophilic or polar media, which limits their exploitation. With the presence of a large number of chemical functionalities within…