ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the preparation of Nanocrystalline Cellulose (NCC) and its composites with antimicrobial activities together with opportunities and technical challenges. It also aims to highlight potential applications of NCC nanocomposites in wound dressing, the food packaging, and the antimicrobial control systems. Considering the potential large-scale applications, NCC has been under intense scrutiny for its plausible cytotoxicity and biocompatibility. Fibrosis, asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and pleural plaques are attributed to asbestos fibers, so the word “fibers” in cellulose nanofibers raises grave concern to the workers associated with the production of NCC in large quantity. NCC-based adsorbents are difficult to recover from treated wastewater and might involve several steps, such as precipitation, filtration, or high-speed centrifugation. The concept of using NCC composites with the antimicrobial properties is appealing for the numerous applications, including the food packaging and the wound dressing.
