ABSTRACT
Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) can be derived from the most abundant and inexhaustive biopolymer, cellulose. CNCs are one type of cellulose nanofibers that has gained significant interest owing to its promising features and broad range of application is several fields. Considering the ever-increasing interdisciplinary research being performed on cellulose nanocrystals, this chapter aims to collect the knowledge available about the chemistry and structure of cellulose fibers and the existing extraction procedures to produce cellulose nanocrystals. Specific conditions to isolate CNCs from various lignocellulosic sources are discussed in detail. The most common characterization methods and the properties of the obtained CNCs are described. Furthermore, CNCs are typically hydrophobic in nature; thus, they can be surface-functionalized to meet various challenging requirements. The recent surface modification approaches are consequently highlighted.
