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  • Review Article
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Production routes to tailor the performance of cellulose nanocrystals

Nature Reviews Materials volume 6, pages 124–144 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are bio-based, high aspect ratio nanoparticles that are industrially produced in tonne-per-day quantities across the globe. CNCs can be used to improve the performance of a large range of materials such as emulsions and foams, biomedical devices, electronics and sensors, high-viscosity fluids and polymer composites. Their ability to do so, however, is highly dependent on the way they are produced. In this Review, we assess the properties of CNCs from more than 30 production routes and 40 biomass sources to help CNC users select the right material for their desired application. CNCs produced by various methods are evaluated against three target properties: colloidal stability, size and crystallinity index. Alternative production routes and/or starting materials are suggested to overcome challenges associated with CNC use, including increasing compatibility with hydrophobic materials, resistance to thermal degradation and colloidal stability in high ionic strength environments. Additionally, we discuss industrial production of CNCs, as well as considerations for increasing the yield and reducing the environmental impact of these processes. Overall, this Review guides researchers and CNC users towards a deeper understanding of how production processes can be modified to control CNC properties and subsequently tailor their performance.

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Fig. 1: Research milestones and terminology progression of CNCs.
Fig. 2: CNC target properties.
Fig. 3: Physical and chemical mechanisms of cellulose hydrolysis to produce CNCs.
Fig. 4: Morphology of CNCs from various cellulose sources.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank E. Niinivaara and G. Delepierre for drawing chemical structures. E.D.C. is grateful for financial support and recognition through the Early Researcher awards from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, the Canada Research Chairs programme and the University of British Columbia’s President’s Excellence Chair initiative. McMaster University (Faculty of Engineering), the University of British Columbia (Faculty of Applied Science and Faculty of Forestry) and the BioProducts Institute (http://bpi.ubc.ca) are gratefully acknowledged for support. This work was funded through Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant RGPIN-2017-05252 to E.D.C. and an NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship to O.M.V.

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  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Oriana M. Vanderfleet

  2. Department of Wood Science, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Oriana M. Vanderfleet & Emily D. Cranston

  3. Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Emily D. Cranston

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O.M.V. and E.D.C developed the outline and wrote the manuscript in collaboration. O.M.V. compiled all data in tables. O.M.V. and E.D.C revised the manuscript on the basis of reviewer and editorial suggestions.

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Correspondence to Emily D. Cranston.

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Vanderfleet, O.M., Cranston, E.D. Production routes to tailor the performance of cellulose nanocrystals. Nat Rev Mater 6, 124–144 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-020-00239-y

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