Nanocellulose and Nanocellulose-Based Composites: History
Please note this is an old version of this entry, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Contributor: , , , , , ,

Nanocellulose is the most abundant material extracted from plants, animals, and bacteria. Nanocellulose is a cellulosic material with nano-scale dimensions and exists in the form of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), bacterial nanocellulose (BNC), and nano-fibrillated cellulose (NFC). Owing to its high surface area, non-toxic nature, good mechanical properties, low thermal expansion, and high biodegradability, it is obtaining high attraction in the fields of electronics, paper making, packaging, and filtration, as well as the biomedical industry. To obtain the full potential of nanocellulose, it is chemically modified to alter the surface, resulting in improved properties. 

  • nanocellulose
  • biodegradable
  • nanocomposites
  • chemical functionalization
  • extraction
  • applications

1. Introduction

Polymeric cellulosic materials with high biodegradability and eco-friendliness have received a lot of attention, owing to the damage caused by petroleum base products, such as global warming, green gas emissions, and many others [1]. Several researchers are working on cellulosic fibers, from which nanocellulose can be extracted. The use of nanocellulose as a reinforcement in composites is because of their mesoscopic properties [2]. Nanocellulose is derived from plant cell walls and has extremely valuable properties, such as high surface area and strength [3][4][5]. Furthermore, the nanocellulose surface is easy to modify because of the large number of hydroxyl groups present in its structure. Nanocellulose has numerous applications in our daily lives, including filtration membranes, food packaging, biomedical, and so on [6].

2. Nanocellulose and Its Various Sources

As shown in Figure 1, the cell walls of most plants contain hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin. Lignin acts as a binder between cellulose and hemicellulose, holding them together. It has high stiffness and strength and can protect the cell wall from the outside environment. The amount of lignin in the plant cell wall ranges from 10 to 25% by weight, while the amounts of hemicellulose and cellulose are 20–35% and 35–50%, respectively [1][7][8]. The main component of the cell wall is cellulose, composed of repeating units of cellobiose, linked together with β-1,4 linkages, as shown in Figure 1. Intermolecular or intermolecular hydrogen bonding is used to connect the repeated units. Bonding occurs between the same or different chains via open hydroxyl groups [9]. Hemicelluloses are primarily xylans and glucomannans, connected by short or branched chains. Hydrogen bonding plays a vital role in providing compactness, strength, and solvent impermeability to the networks in cellulose fibers.
Figure 1. Plant cell wall structure and cellobiose chemical structure.
Strong hydrogen bonding networks and a variety of hydroxyl groups give cellulose fiber exceptional physical and mechanical qualities. The orderly packing of the chain molecules in the crystalline parts promotes high stiffness, whereas the amorphous parts give flexibility to the bulk material [10]. For general lignocellulosic biomass, the cellulose fibers present in between the crystalline and amorphous regions have a diameter of 3–100 μm and a length of 1–4 mm [11].
Nanocellulose fibers with a diameter of less than 100 nm and a length in the micrometers range deserve special attention. Nanocellulose fibers are transparent and rich in hydroxyl groups. These groups have a reactive surface that can be modified to obtain the desired properties [12]. Nanocellulose nanofibers have a low density of 1.6 g/cm3 and has exceptional strength [11]. Additionally, they have a tensile strength of nearly 10 GPa and a high strength-to-weight ratio that is eight times greater than stainless steel.
The three primary forms of nanocellulose materials are BNC, NFC, and CNC, as shown in Table 1. Three cellulosic forms have unique qualities, including biodegradability, tunable surface chemistry, barrier properties, non-toxicity, high mechanical strength, crystallinity, and high aspect ratio. Such a remarkable nature of nanocellulose makes it a new material for food packaging and fillers in composites [13][14]. High-strength nanocellulose, sometimes referred to as CNC, is typically recovered by the process of acid hydrolysis from cellulose fibrils [15]. It is shaped like a short rod or a whisker and has a diameter of 2–20 nm and a length of 100–500 nm. Additionally, it is entirely composed of cellulose, with high crystallinity ranging from 54 to 88%. The long and entangled nanocellulose that may be mechanically removed from cellulose fibrils is another type of nanocellulose and is known as NFC, often referred to as micro-fibrillated cellulose. Its size ranges from 500 to 2000 nm in length and 1–100 nm in diameter [16][17]. It is made from 100% cellulose, with crystalline and amorphous region parts. Another different type of nanocellulose is BNC. It is formed by bacteria, primarily Gluconacetobacter xylinus, over a few days to two weeks, whereas lignocellulosic biomass is the primary constituent for the extraction of CNC and NFC (top-down method). As BNC is extracted from bacteria, other amorphous compounds, such as lignin, hemicellulose, and pectin, are never present in the pure form of BNC [18][19]. The chemical makeup of BNC is identical to that of the other two types of nanocellulose.

This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/polym14214468

References

  1. Karim, M.R.A.; Tahir, D.; Haq, E.U.; Hussain, A.; Malik, M.S. Natural fibres as promising environmental-friendly reinforcements for polymer composites. Polym. Polym. Compos. 2020, 29, 277–300.
  2. Tan, K.W.; Heo, S.K.; Foo, M.L.; Chew, I.M.L.; Yoo, C.K. An insight into nanocellulose as soft condensed matter: Challenge and future prospective toward environmental sustainability. Sci. Total Environ. 2019, 650, 1309–1326.
  3. Dufresne, A. Nanocellulose: A new ageless bionanomaterial. Mater. Today 2013, 16, 220–227.
  4. Lee, K.-Y.; Aitomäki, Y.; Berglund, L.A.; Oksman, K.; Bismarck, A. On the use of nanocellulose as reinforcement in polymer matrix composites. Compos. Sci. Technol. 2014, 105, 15–27.
  5. Gabriel, T.; Belete, A.; Syrowatka, F.; Neubert, R.H.H.; Gebre-Mariam, T. Extraction and characterization of celluloses from various plant byproducts. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 2020, 158, 1248–1258.
  6. Fatima, A.; Yasir, S.; Ul-Islam, M.; Kamal, T.; Ahmad, M.W.; Abbas, Y.; Manan, S.; Ullah, M.W.; Yang, G. Ex situ development and characterization of green antibacterial bacterial cellulose-based composites for potential biomedical applications. Adv. Compos. Hybrid Mater. 2022, 5, 307–321.
  7. Abdul Karim, M.R.; Tahir, D.; Hussain, A.; Ul Haq, E.; Khan, K.I. Sodium carbonate treatment of fibres to improve mechanical and water absorption characteristics of short bamboo natural fibres reinforced polyester composite. Plast. Rubber Compos. 2020, 49, 425–433.
  8. Abdul Karim, M.R.; Tahir, D.; Khan, K.I.; Hussain, A.; Haq, E.U.; Malik, M.S. Improved mechanical and water absorption properties of epoxy-bamboo long natural fibres composites by eco-friendly Na2CO3 treatment. Plast. Rubber Compos. 2022, 22, 1–14.
  9. Dufresne, A. Potential of nanocellulose as a reinforcing phase for polymers. J. Sci. Technol. For. Prod. Process. 2012, 2, 6–16.
  10. Moon, R.J.; Martini, A.; Nairn, J.; Simonsen, J.; Youngblood, J. Cellulose nanomaterials review: Structure, properties and nanocomposites. Chem. Soc. Rev. 2011, 40, 3941–3994.
  11. Lavoine, N.; Desloges, I.; Dufresne, A.; Bras, J. Microfibrillated cellulose—Its barrier properties and applications in cellulosic materials: A review. Carbohydr. Polym. 2012, 90, 735–764.
  12. Abdul Khalil, H.P.S.; Bhat, A.H.; Ireana Yusra, A.F. Green composites from sustainable cellulose nanofibrils: A review. Carbohydr. Polym. 2012, 87, 963–979.
  13. Ferrer, A.; Pal, L.; Hubbe, M. Nanocellulose in packaging: Advances in barrier layer technologies. Ind. Crops Prod. 2017, 95, 574–582.
  14. Klemm, D.; Kramer, F.; Moritz, S.; Lindström, T.; Ankerfors, M.; Gray, D.; Dorris, A. Nanocelluloses: A New Family of Nature-Based Materials. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 5438–5466.
  15. Dufresne, A. Chapter 1. Nanocellulose: Potential Reinforcement in Composites. In Natural Polymers: Volume 2: Nanocomposites; Maya, J., John, S.T., Eds.; RSC Publishing: Cambridge, UK, 2012; pp. 1–32.
  16. Abitbol, T.; Rivkin, A.; Cao, Y.; Nevo, Y.; Abraham, E.; Ben-Shalom, T.; Lapidot, S.; Shoseyov, O. Nanocellulose, a tiny fiber with huge applications. Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 2016, 39, 76–88.
  17. Nechyporchuk, O.; Belgacem, M.N.; Bras, J. Production of cellulose nanofibrils: A review of recent advances. Ind. Crops Prod. 2016, 93, 2–25.
  18. Jozala, A.F.; de Lencastre-Novaes, L.C.; Lopes, A.M.; de Carvalho Santos-Ebinuma, V.; Mazzola, P.G.; Pessoa, A., Jr.; Grotto, D.; Gerenutti, M.; Chaud, M.V. Bacterial nanocellulose production and application: A 10-year overview. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 2016, 100, 2063–2072.
  19. Manan, S.; Ullah, M.W.; Ul-Islam, M.; Shi, Z.; Gauthier, M.; Yang, G. Bacterial cellulose: Molecular regulation of biosynthesis, supramolecular assembly, and tailored structural and functional properties. Prog. Mater. Sci. 2022, 129, 100972.
  20. Haafiz, M.K.M.; Hassan, A.; Zakaria, Z.; Inuwa, I.M. Isolation and characterization of cellulose nanowhiskers from oil palm biomass microcrystalline cellulose. Carbohydr. Polym. 2014, 103, 119–125.
  21. Sharma, A.; Thakur, M.; Bhattacharya, M.; Mandal, T.; Goswami, S. Commercial application of cellulose nano-composites—A review. Biotechnol. Rep. 2019, 21, e00316.
  22. Sharma, A.; Mandal, T.; Goswami, S. Cellulose nanofibers from rice straw: Process development for improved delignification and better crystallinity index. Trends Carbohydr. Res. 2017, 9, 16–27.
  23. Dos Santos, R.M.; Flauzino Neto, W.P.; Silvério, H.A.; Martins, D.F.; Dantas, N.O.; Pasquini, D. Cellulose nanocrystals from pineapple leaf, a new approach for the reuse of this agro-waste. Ind. Crops Prod. 2013, 50, 707–714.
  24. Phanthong, P.; Ma, Y.; Guan, G.; Abudula, A. Extraction of Nanocellulose from Raw Apple Stem. J. Jpn. Inst. Energy. 2015, 94, 787–793.
  25. Kargarzadeh, H.; Ioelovich, M.; Ahmad, I.; Thomas, S.; Dufresne, A. Methods for Extraction of Nanocellulose from Various Sources. In Handbook of Nanocellulose and Cellulose Nanocomposites; Kargarzadeh, H., Ahmad, I., Thomas, A.D.S., Eds.; John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.: Weinheim, Germany, 2017; pp. 1–49.
  26. Bondeson, D.; Mathew, A.; Oksman, K. Optimization of the isolation of nanocrystals from microcrystalline cellulose by acid hydrolysis. Cellulose 2006, 13, 171–180.
  27. Dong, X.M.; Revol, J.F.; Gray, D.G. Effect of microcrystallite preparation conditions on the formation of colloid crystals of cellulose. Cellulose 1998, 5, 19–32.
  28. Maiti, S.; Jayaramudu, J.; Das, K.; Reddy, S.M.; Sadiku, R.; Ray, S.S.; Liu, D. Preparation and characterization of nano-cellulose with new shape from different precursor. Carbohydr. Polym. 2013, 98, 562–567.
  29. Das, K.; Ray, D.; Bandyopadhyay, N.R.; Ghosh, T.; Mohanty, A.K.; Misra, M. A study of the mechanical, thermal and morphological properties of microcrystalline cellulose particles prepared from cotton slivers using different acid concentrations. Cellulose 2009, 16, 783–793.
  30. Iranmahboob, J.; Nadim, F.; Monemi, S. Optimizing acid-hydrolysis: A critical step for production of ethanol from mixed wood chips. Biomass Bioenergy 2002, 22, 401–404.
  31. Hamelinck, C.N.; Van Hooijdonk, G.; Faaij, A.P.C. Ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass: Techno-economic performance in short-, middle- and long-term. Biomass Bioenergy 2005, 28, 384–410.
  32. Wang, N.; Ding, E.; Cheng, R. Thermal degradation behaviors of spherical cellulose nanocrystals with sulfate groups. Polymer 2007, 48, 3486–3493.
  33. Abdul Khalil, H.P.S.; Davoudpour, Y.; Islam, M.N.; Mustapha, A.; Sudesh, K.; Dungani, R.; Jawaid, M. Production and modification of nanofibrillated cellulose using various mechanical processes: A review. Carbohydr. Polym. 2014, 99, 649–665.
  34. Phanthong, P.; Reubroycharoen, P.; Hao, X.; Xu, G.; Abudula, A.; Guan, G. Nanocellulose: Extraction and application. Carbon Resour. Convers. 2018, 1, 32–43.
  35. Wahlström, R.M.; Suurnäkki, A. Enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic polysaccharides in the presence of ionic liquids. Green Chem. 2015, 17, 694–714.
  36. Moniruzzaman, M.; Ono, T. Separation and characterization of cellulose fibers from cypress wood treated with ionic liquid prior to laccase treatment. Bioresour. Technol. 2013, 127, 132–137.
  37. Li, J.; Wei, X.; Wang, Q.; Chen, J.; Chang, G.; Kong, L.; Su, J.; Liu, Y. Homogeneous isolation of nanocellulose from sugarcane bagasse by high pressure homogenization. Carbohydr. Polym. 2012, 90, 1609–1613.
  38. Wang, Y.; Bian, K.; Hu, C.; Zhang, Z.; Chen, N.; Zhang, H.; Qu, L. Flexible and wearable graphene/polypyrrole fibers towards multifunctional actuator applications. Electrochem. Commun. 2013, 35, 49–52.
  39. Väntsi, O.; Kärki, T. Utilization of recycled mineral wool as filler in wood-polypropylene composites. Constr. Build. Mater. 2014, 55, 220–226.
  40. Zhou, Y.M.; Fu, S.Y.; Zheng, L.M.; Zhan, H.Y. Effect of nanocellulose isolation techniques on the formation of reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposite films. Express Polym. Lett. 2012, 6, 794–804.
  41. Filson, P.B.; Dawson-Andoh, B.E. Sono-chemical preparation of cellulose nanocrystals from lignocellulose derived materials. Bioresour. Technol. 2009, 100, 2259–2264.
  42. Tang, L.; Huang, B.; Lu, Q.; Wang, S.; Ou, W.; Lin, W.; Chen, X. Ultrasonication-assisted manufacture of cellulose nanocrystals esterified with acetic acid. Bioresour. Technol. 2013, 127, 100–105.
  43. Ago, M.; Endo, T.; Hirotsu, T. Crystalline transformation of native cellulose from cellulose I to cellulose II polymorph by a ball-milling method with a specific amount of water. Cellulose 2004, 11, 163–167.
  44. Barakat, A.; Mayer-Laigle, C.; Solhy, A.; Arancon, R.A.D.; De Vries, H.; Luque, R. Mechanical pretreatments of lignocellulosic biomass: Towards facile and environmentally sound technologies for biofuels production. RSC Adv. 2014, 4, 48109–48127.
  45. Kim, H.J.; Lee, S.; Kim, J.; Mitchell, R.J.; Lee, J.H. Environmentally friendly pretreatment of plant biomass by planetary and attrition milling. Bioresour. Technol. 2013, 144, 50–56.
  46. Baheti, V.; Abbasi, R.; Militky, J. Ball milling of jute fibre wastes to prepare nanocellulose. World J. Eng. 2012, 9, 45–50.
  47. Feng, Y.T.; Han, K.; Owen, D.R.J. Discrete element simulation of the dynamics of high energy planetary ball milling processes. Mater. Sci. Eng. A 2004, 375, 815–819.
  48. Avolio, R.; Bonadies, I.; Capitani, D.; Errico, M.E.; Gentile, G.; Avella, M. A multitechnique approach to assess the effect of ball milling on cellulose. Carbohydr. Polym. 2012, 87, 265–273.
  49. Ago, M.; Endo, T.; Okajima, K. Effect of solvent on morphological and structural change of cellulose under ball-milling. Polym. J. 2007, 39, 435–441.
  50. Brown, E.E.; Laborie, M.P.G. Bioengineering bacterial cellulose/poly(ethylene oxide) nanocomposites. Biomacromolecules 2007, 8, 3074–3081.
  51. Choi, S.M.; Shin, E.J. The nanofication and functionalization of bacterial cellulose and its applications. Nanomaterials 2020, 10, 406.
  52. Ullah, M.W.; Ul-Islam, M.; Khan, S.; Kim, Y.; Park, J.K. Innovative production of bio-cellulose using a cell-free system derived from a single cell line. Carbohydr. Polym. 2015, 132, 286–294.
More
This entry is offline, you can click here to edit this entry!
ScholarVision Creations