Nanocelluloses: Their Preparation, Properties, and Applications

Although occurrence of nanoscale aggregates of cellulose upon acid hydrolysis was recognized in the middle of the past century, characterization of nanoscale phenomena was limited. As methods for observing and characterizing such systems have been developed, the cellulose science community has applied them. Much progress has been made in the past two decades. Nanocelluloses are the point of focus for many research programs in laboratories around the world. This is because of theabundance of celluloses as the primary structural components in plants, as well as their unique properties. They allow preparation of nanocelluloses of multiple forms with properties that can have significant commercial value. The diversity of the contents in this book reflects the much wider range of parallel investigations ongoing in many academic, industrial, and national laboratories devoted to both agriculture and manufacturing. The challenges confronting the cellulose science community are well reflected in the collection of investigations reported in these proceedings. The chapter contributions represent many different arenas wherein efforts are currently invested in both basic and applications explorations.They also suggest the wide range of questions that have arisen regarding nanocelluloses. The intent has been to be representative rather than comprehensive regarding ongoing efforts.