ABSTRACT
Today, the world focuses on environmental management and sustainable development through eco-friendly materials. Nanocellulose is one such green material, which is abundantly available in nature. High mechanical strength, low density, high crystallinity, renewability, nontoxicity, and biodegradability are among the unique qualities of nanocellulose. Nanocellulose can be broadly classified as cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and nanocellulose fibers. There are a lot of works reported on the isolation of nanocellulose from agricultural and municipal wastes. This chapter draws attention to the extraction, properties and application of nanocellulose from nutshells. This gives a comprehensive idea about the structure, history, sources and methods of isolation of both cellulose nanofibers (CFs) and CNCs. The surface hydroxyl group makes nanocellulose hydrophilic and hence it is incompatible with hydrophobic polymer moiety. This can be addressed by suitable surface modifications. Nanocellulose has potential applications in various fields, such as functional papers, optics, packaging, hygiene products, 62energy storage, catalysis, adsorbents, skin care, biosensors, and in polymer nanocomposites.
