Chapter 19 - Recent progress in cellulose-based smart nanocrystals by agricultural resources

Abstract

Cellulose, one of the most abundant natural materials, holds a substantial position in the fabrication of green and biocompatible products because of its biodegradable, inexpensive, renewable, and biocompatible nature. It is a kind of carbohydrate polymer and contains numerous hydroxyl groups in its backbone structure. Smart materials have great potential to change their behaviors in a controlled fashion under the response of external stimuli. Cellulose-based smart nanocrystals have significant advantages such as excellent biocompatibility, low density, high surface area, optical transparency, and improved mechanical properties. They can also be applied as fillers for the fabrication of high-performance composites. This chapter aims to present the recent progress in cellulose-based smart nanocrystals isolated from agricultural resources in the past few years, including the extraction, properties, and applications of these materials. The extraction of cellulose-based smart nanocrystals via different chemical treatments is given here. The applications of cellulose-based smart nanocrystals in tissue engineering, drug delivery, water purification, coating, and antimicrobial carriers are discussed in this chapter.