5 - Electrospun polymeric composite nanofibers with cellulose nanocrystals and their applications

Abstract

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), extracted from natural resources using a hydrolysis method, are of an increasingly high interest for a variety of applications due to their renewability, anisotropicity, high modulus, good biocompatibility, and active surface chemistry. They are also considered as effective reinforcing nanofillers in polymer composites. CNCs belong to rod-like polymers with the size of several nanometers in diameter and several hundred nanometers in length, which are widely studied in reinforcing and modifying electrospun polymeric nanofibers. In this chapter, we summarized major research progress related to electrospun composite nanofibers containing CNCs. The dispersion and distribution of CNCs in fibrous matrices, mechanical properties, crystallization, and surface chemistry of nanofibers were holistically reviewed. The hydrophilic and nontoxic CNCs showed positive effects on nanofibrous network structures, which enabled to tailor the wettability of nanofibers for improving the filtration capabilities in water treatment and enhancing the cell proliferation and growth in tissue scaffold engineering. As such, an overview of CNC modified porous nanofiber mats used as membrane materials in tissue engineering was particularly highlighted in this chapter.