Nanocelluloses as Innovative Polymers in Research and Application

Cellulose is a fascinating and almost inexhaustible and sustainable natural polymeric raw material characterized by exciting properties such as hydrophilicity, chirality, biodegradability, broad chemical-modifying capacity, and the formation of different semicrystalline fiber morphologies. If cellulosics such as bacterial cellulose or strongly disintegrated wood cellulose are composed of nanosized fibers and the nanofiber structuring determines the product properties, these polymers are described as nanocelluloses. Because of the extraordinary supramolecular structure and exceptional product characteristics as high-molecular and high-crystalline cellulosics with a water content up to 99%, nanocelluloses require increasing attention. This review assembles the current knowledge in research, development, and application in the field of nanocelluloses through examples. The topics combine selected results on nanocelluloses from bacteria and wood as well as their use as technical membranes and composites with the first long-time study of cellulosics in the animal body for the development of medical devices such as artificial blood vessels, and the application of bacterial nanocellulose as animal wound dressings and cosmetic tissues.