ABSTRACT
Cellulose forms the skeleton of the cell wall, while hemicellulose serves as a connector for the cellulosic and noncellulosic polymers. The depletion of resources, the occupancy of landfills, and the economical and environmental burden spurred due to nonbio-degradable plastics have forced researchers to explore alternative biodegradable and renewable sources of polymers. The nanofibrillated cellulose obtained from plants, bacteria, and tunicates is a low-density biodegradable polymer with excellent mechanical properties. However, the high energy consumption and cost in the mechanical separation of nanofibers are the major stumbling blocks in their wider acceptance on the industrial scale. Plant- and bacteria-based cellulose nanofibers are being widely studied as a reinforcement in nanocomposites, tissue engineering scaffolds, filtration media, high-tech transparent films, and optical devices. A common problem persisting with the synthesis of nanocomposites is the incompatibility between a hydrophobic matrix and hydrophilic fillers, leading to the inferior performance of the composite.
