Cellulose nanocrystal/nanoparticles hybrid nanocomposites: From preparation to applications

Abstract Recently, the use of bio-based and renewable materials for academic and industrial applications is becoming impellent owing to the increasing demand of alternatives to non-renewable and limited fossil materials. In particular, nanocellulose is derived from cellulose which is the most abundant natural, renewable, and biodegradable polymer. Nanocellulose has gained a lot of attention due to its abundance in nature, nano-dimension, large specific surface area, high tensile strength and stiffness, abundance of surface hydroxyl groups, stability and bio-compatibility. This promising material has received much attention as potential nanofiller for various polymers even at low filler loadings. Nevertheless, a monofunctional nanofiller can only improve a single property of host polymer matrices, while the possibility of combining nanocellulose with additional nanoscale reinforcement offers the possibility of expanding the field of application of nanocellulose based polymer nanocomposites. Consequently, a new class of functional nanomaterials can be achieved exhibiting enhanced properties, owing to the synergistic effect resulting from physical or chemical interactions between the nanocellulose and a second component. This chapter highlights the current state-of-the-art synthesis of structure, properties, and extraction of cellulose nanocrystal from lignocellulosic biomass. The discussion will focus on the recent progress in the field of cellulose nanocrystal/nanoparticles hybrid nanocomposites, which are particularly important for numerous applications in various industrial sectors.