Preparation and Applications of Cellulose Nanomaterials
Résumé
The interest in materials from biological resources has grown tremendously in recent years as a result of their high potential to manufacture high value products with low impact on the environment. Cellulose is the most abundant natural biopolymer. It constitutes 50% of biomass. Its exploitation dates back to the beginning of civilization, but it has received considerable attention in recent decades in view of the transformations of properties generated at the nanometric scale. Unexpected properties can be obtained by reducing the size of a material to the nanoscale, and cellulose in not an exception. In this article, we review the preparation of nanomaterials from different cellulosic sources, along with wood. By transforming cellulose at a nanoscale, new properties are accessible and many new industrial applications can be expected in different fields. A quick overview of the promising markets where cellulose nanomaterials can find an application is provided.