Cellulose nanocrystals and cellulose nanofibrils based hydrogels for biomedical applications

Sodium alginate/collagen composite multiscale porous scaffolds containing poly(ε-caprolactone) microspheres fabricated based on additive manufacturing technology

Biocompatible porous scaffolds with adjustable pore structures, appropriate mechanical properties and drug loading properties are important components of bone tissue engineering. In this work, biocompatible sodium alginate (SA)/collagen (Col) multiscale porous scaffolds containing poly(ε-caprolactone) microspheres (Ms-PCL) have been facilely fabricated based on 3D extrusion printing of the pre-crosslinked composite hydrogels. The prepared composite hydrogels can be 3D extrusion printed into porous scaffolds with different designed shapes and adjustable pore structures. The hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanoparticles have been added into the SA/Col hydrogels to achieve stress dispersion and form double crosslinking networks. SA-Ca²⁺ crosslinking networks and Col–genipin (GP) crosslinking networks have been constructed to improve the mechanical properties of the scaffolds (about 2557 kPa of compressive stress at 70% strain), and reduce the swelling rate and degradation rate of SA/Col scaffolds. Moreover, the SA/Col hydrogels contain hydrophobic antibacterial drug enrofloxacin loaded Ms-PCL, and in vitro drug release research shows a sustained-release function of porous scaffolds, indicating the potential application of SA/Col porous scaffolds as drug carriers. In addition, the antibacterial experiments show that the composite scaffolds display a distinguished and long-term antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, mouse bone mesenchymal stem cells (mBMSCs) are seeded on the SA/Col composite scaffolds, and an in vitro biocompatibility experiment shows that the mBMSCs can adhere well on the composite scaffolds, which indicate that the fabricated composite scaffolds are biocompatible. In short, all of the above results suggest that the biocompatible SA/Col composite porous scaffolds have enormous application and potential in bone tissue engineering.

Biocompatible porous scaffolds with adjustable pore structures, appropriate mechanical properties and drug loading properties are important components of bone tissue engineering.

Cellulose Nanocomposite Hydrogels: From Formulation to Material Properties

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels produced using the freeze-thaw method have attracted attention for a long time since their first preparation in 1975. Due to the importance of polymer intrinsic features and the advantages associated with them, they are very suitable for biomedical applications such as tissue engineering and drug delivery systems. On the other hand, there is an increasing interest in the use of biobased additives such as cellulose nanocrystals, CNC. This study focused on composite hydrogels which were produced by using different concentrations of PVA (5 and 10%) and CNC (1 and 10 wt.%), also, pure PVA hydrogels were used as references. The main goal was to determine the impact of both components on mechanical, thermal, and water absorption properties of composite hydrogels as well as on morphology and initial water content. It was found that PVA had a dominating effect on all hydrogels. The effect of the CNC addition was both concentration-dependent and case-dependent. As a general trend, addition of CNC decreased the water content of the prepared hydrogels, decreased the crystallinity of the PVA, and increased the hydrogels compression modulus and strength to some extent. The performance of composite hydrogels in a cyclic compression test was studied; the hydrogel with low PVA (5) and high CNC (10) content showed totally reversible behavior after 10 cycles.

Biodegradable and Electroactive Regenerated Bacterial Cellulose/MXene (Ti3 C2 Tx ) Composite Hydrogel as Wound Dressing for Accelerating Skin Wound Healing under Electrical Stimulation

Traditional wound dressings mainly participate in the passive healing processes and are rarely engaged in active wound healing by stimulating skin cell behaviors. Electrical stimulation (ES) has been known to regulate skin cell behaviors. Herein, a series of multifunctional hydrogels based on regenerated bacterial cellulose (rBC) and MXene (Ti₃ C₂ T_x ) are first developed that can electrically modulate cell behaviors for active skin wound healing under external ES. The composite hydrogel with 2 wt% MXene (rBC/MXene-2%) exhibits the highest electrical conductivity and the best biocompatibility. Meanwhile, the rBC/MXene-2% hydrogel presents desired mechanical properties, favorable flexibility, good biodegradability, and high water-uptake capacity. An in vivo study using a rat full-thickness defect model reveals that this rBC/MXene hydrogel exhibits a better therapeutic effect than the commercial Tegaderm film. More importantly, in vitro and in vivo data demonstrate that coupling with ES, the hydrogel can significantly enhance the proliferation activity of NIH3T3 cells and accelerate the wound healing process, as compared to non-ES controls. This study suggests that the biodegradable and electroactive rBC/MXene hydrogel is an appealing candidate as a wound dressing for skin wound healing, while also providing an effective synergistic therapeutic strategy for accelerating wound repair process through coupling ES with the hydrogel dressing.

Synthesis and Characterization of Zinc Phthalocyanine-Cellulose Nanocrystal (CNC) Conjugates: Toward Highly Functional CNCs

We report highly fluorescent cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) formed by conjugating a carboxylated zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) to two different types of CNCs. The conjugated nanocrystals (henceforth called ZnPc@CNCs) were bright green in color and exhibited absorption and emission maxima at ∼690 and ∼715 nm, respectively. The esterification protocol employed to covalently bind carboxylated ZnPc to surface hydroxyl group rich CNCs was expected to result in a monolayer of ZnPc on the surface of the CNCs. However, dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies indicated a large increase in the hydrodynamic radius of CNCs following conjugation to ZnPc, which suggests the binding of multiple ZnPc molecular layers on the CNC surface. This binding could be through co-facial π-stacking of ZnPc, where ZnPc metallophthalocyanine rings are horizontal to the CNC surface. The other possible binding mode would give rise to conjugated systems where ZnPc metallophthalocyanine rings are oriented vertically on the CNC surface. Density functional theory based calculations showed stable geometry following the conjugation protocol that involved covalently attached ester bond formation. The conjugates demonstrated superior performance for potential sensing applications through higher photoluminescence quenching capabilities compared to pristine ZnPc.

Directionally-Grown Carboxymethyl Cellulose/Reduced Graphene Oxide Aerogel with Excellent Structure Stability and Adsorption Capacity

A novel three-dimensional carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite aerogel crosslinked by poly (methyl vinyl ether-co-maleic acid)/poly (ethylene glycol) system via a directional freezing technique exhibits high structure stability while simultaneously maintaining its excellent adsorption capacity to remove organic dyes from liquid. A series of crosslinked aerogels with different amounts of GO were investigated for their adsorption capacity of methylene blue (MB), which were found to be superb adsorbents, and the maximum adsorption capacity reached 520.67 mg/g with the incorporation of rGO. The adsorption kinetics and isotherm studies revealed that the adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order model and the Langmuir adsorption model, and the adsorption was a spontaneous process. Furthermore, the crosslinked aerogel can be easily recycled after washing with dilute HCl solution, which could retain over 97% of the adsorption capacity after recycling five times. These excellent properties endow the crosslinked CMC/rGO aerogel’s potential in wastewater treatment and environment protection.

Chitosan-Nanocellulose Composites for Regenerative Medicine Applications

Regenerative medicine represents an emerging multidisciplinary field that brings together engineering methods and complexity of life sciences into a unified fundamental understanding of structure-property relationship in micro/nano environment to develop the next generation of scaffolds and hydrogels to restore or improve tissue functions. Chitosan has several unique physico-chemical properties that make it a highly desirable polysaccharide for various applications such as, biomedical, food, nutraceutical, agriculture, packaging, coating, etc. However, the utilization of chitosan in regenerative medicine is often limited due to its inadequate mechanical, barrier and thermal properties. Cellulosic nanomaterials (CNs), owing to their exceptional mechanical strength, ease of chemical modification, biocompatibility and favorable interaction with chitosan, represent an attractive candidate for the fabrication of chitosan/ CNs scaffolds and hydrogels. The unique mechanical and biological properties of the chitosan/CNs bio-nanocomposite make them a material of choice for the development of next generation bio-scaffolds and hydrogels for regenerative medicine applications. In this review, we have summarized the preparation method, mechanical properties, morphology, cytotoxicity/ biocompatibility of chitosan/CNs nanocomposites for regenerative medicine applications, which comprises tissue engineering and wound dressing applications.

Eco-friendly nanocellulose and its biomedical applications: current status and future prospect

Cellulose is the earth's leading natural polymer. It is known for its properties like biocompatibility, high mechanical strength, cost-effectiveness and lightweight. Nanocellulose displays better properties as compared to the native cellulose fibre. The nanocellulose is very remunerative in the arenas of routine application especially in health care, food industry, sanitary products and many more. In the biomedical area, cellulose-based products are utilized in applications like wound healing, dental applications, drug delivery, antimicrobial material, etc. Nanocellulose biomaterials have been commercialised, representing the material of new generation. With the objective to comprehend the contribution of nanocellulose in the current status and future development in biomedical utilisations, the review is focused on cellulose, nanocellulose, types and sources of nanocellulose, its preparation, characteristics, constraints related to its composites through the analysis of certain scientific reports.

Lignin-Based Micro- and Nanomaterials and their Composites in Biomedical Applications

Lignin, as the most abundant aromatic renewable biopolymer in nature, has long been regarded as waste and simply discarded from the pulp and paper industry. In recent years, with many breakthroughs in lignin chemistry, pretreatment, and processing techniques, a lot of the inherent bioactivities of lignin, including antioxidant activities, antimicrobial activities, biocompatibilities, optical properties, and metal-ion chelating and redox activities, have been discovered and this has opened a new field not only for lignin-based materials but also for biomaterials. In this Review, the biological activities of lignin and drug/gene delivery and bioimaging applications of various types of lignin-based material are summarized. In addition, the challenges and limitations of lignin-based materials encountered during the development of biomedical applications are also discussed.

Keratin - Based materials for biomedical applications

Keratin constitutes the major component of the feather, hair, hooves, horns, and wool represents a group of biological material having high cysteine content (7-13%) as compared to other structural proteins. Keratin -based biomaterials have been investigated extensively over the past few decades due to their intrinsic biological properties and excellent biocompatibility. Unlike other natural polymers such as starch, collagen, chitosan, the complex three-dimensional structure of keratin requires the use of harsh chemical conditions for their dissolution and extraction. The most commonly used methods for keratin extraction are oxidation, reduction, steam explosion, microbial method, microwave irradiation and use of ionic liquids. Keratin -based materials have been used extensively for various biomedical applications such as drug delivery, wound healing, tissue engineering. This review covers the structure, properties, history of keratin research, methods of extraction and some recent advancements related to the use of keratin derived biomaterials in the form of a 3-D scaffold, films, fibers, and hydrogels.

Coupling Biocompatible Au Nanoclusters and Cellulose Nanofibrils to Prepare the Antibacterial Nanocomposite Films

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) is considered as an inexhaustible precursor to produce antibacterial materials, such as antibacterial hydrogel, antibacterial paper, and antibacterial film. However, the poor antimicrobial property of neat CNF required it should be coupled with an antibacterial ingredient. Herein, biocompatible Au nanoclusters (AuNCs) were synthesized and added into the CNF dispersion to prepare a novel antibacterial film (AuNCs@CNF film). The effects of addition of AuNCs with different amount on the morphology and physicochemical properties of AuNCs@CNF films were characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared), light transmittance spectra, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results showed that AuNCs did not affect the nano-structural features of the CNF film and its basic structures, but could greatly increase the hydrophilicity, the flexibility and the thermal stability of CNF film, which might improve its application in antimicrobial wound-healing dressing. The prepared AuNCs@CNF films demonstrated high antibacterial properties toward Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) both in vitro and in vivo, which can prohibit their growths and promote the healing of bacteria-infected wound, respectively. Thus, the prepared AuNCs@CNF film with great antibacterial properties could be applicable in biomedical field.

Spray-dried bacterial cellulose nanofibers: A new generation of pharmaceutical excipient intended for intestinal drug delivery

Defibrillation of bacterial cellulose by ultra-refining was efficient to release nanofibers (BCNF) which were spray dried with the matrices formers mannitol (MN), maltodextrin or hydroxypropylmethylcellulose. The best microsystem comprised the association of BCNF and MN, so the selected microparticles were loaded with diclofenac sodium or caffeine. Depending on the proportion of BCNF, the nanofibers collapse promoted by spray drying can occur onto surface or into microparticles core, leading to different release behaviors. Samples showed pH-dependent drug release, so the microsystem developed with the lowest BCNF concentration showed important trend to gastroresistance. Caffeine was spray dried as a free drug and for this reason it was devoid of any control over release rates. The set of results showed BCNF can be considered an interesting and potential pharmaceutical excipient for lipophilic drugs. Beyond that, BCNF association with MN can lead to novel enteric drug delivery systems based on natural polymers.

Cellulose Nanofibrils-based Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications: Progresses and Challenges

Background:

Cellulose Nanofibrils (CNFs) are natural nanomaterials with nanometer dimensions. Compared with ordinary cellulose, CNFs own good mechanical properties, large specific surface areas, high Young's modulus, strong hydrophilicity and other distinguishing characteristics, which make them widely used in many fields. This review aims to introduce the preparation of CNFs-based hydrogels and their recent biomedical application advances.

Methods:

By searching the recent literatures, we have summarized the preparation methods of CNFs, including mechanical methods and chemical mechanical methods, and also introduced the fabrication methods of CNFs-based hydrogels, including CNFs cross-linked with metal ion and with polymers. In addition, we have summarized the biomedical applications of CNFs-based hydrogels, including scaffold materials and wound dressings.

Results:

CNFs-based hydrogels are new types of materials that are non-toxic and display a certain mechanical strength. In the tissue scaffold application, they can provide a micro-environment for the damaged tissue to repair and regenerate it. In wound dressing applications, it can fit the wound surface and protect the wound from the external environment, thereby effectively promoting the healing of skin tissue.

Conclusion:

By summarizing the preparation and application of CNFs-based hydrogels, we have analyzed and forecasted their development trends. At present, the research of CNFs-based hydrogels is still in the laboratory stage. It needs further exploration to be applied in practice. The development of medical hydrogels with high mechanical properties and biocompatibility still poses significant challenges.

Wood-Inspired Anisotropic Cellulose Nanofibril Composite Sponges for Multifunctional Applications

Nanocellulose-based porous materials have been recently considered as ideal candidates in various applications. However, challenges on performances remain owing to the disorderly structure and the limited transport specificity. Herein, wood-inspired composite sponges consisting of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and high-aspect-ratio silver nanowires (AgNWs) were generated with anisotropic properties by the directional freeze-drying. The obtained composite sponges exhibited attractive features, such as an excellent compressive stress of 24.5 kPa, low percolation threshold of 0.1 vol % AgNWs, and high electrical conductivity of 1.52 S/cm. Furthermore, the self-assembled ordered structure in the longitudinal direction and synergistic effect between CNFs and AgNWs benefited the sponge interesting anisotropic electrical conductivity, thermal diffusivity, ultrafast electrically induced heating (<5 s), sensitive pressure sensing (errors <0.26%), and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding for special practical demands. This multifunctional material inspired by natural woods is expected to broaden new applications as electronic devices for an intelligent switch or EMI shielding.

Cellulose Nanocrystals/Graphene Hybrids-A Promising New Class of Materials for Advanced Applications

With the growth of global fossil-based resource consumption and the environmental concern, there is an urgent need to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly materials, which exhibit promising properties and could maintain an acceptable level of performance to substitute the petroleum-based ones. As elite nanomaterials, cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) derived from natural renewable resources, exhibit excellent physicochemical properties, biodegradability and biocompatibility and have attracted tremendous interest nowadays. Their combination with other nanomaterials such as graphene-based materials (GNM) has been revealed to be useful and generated new hybrid materials with fascinating physicochemical characteristics and performances. In this context, the review presented herein describes the quickly growing field of a new emerging generation of CNC/GNM hybrids, with a focus on strategies for their preparation and most relevant achievements. These hybrids showed great promise in a wide range of applications such as separation, energy storage, electronic, optic, biomedical, catalysis and food packaging. Some basic concepts and general background on the preparation of CNC and GNM as well as their key features are provided ahead.

Biomass-Based Polymer Nanoparticles With Aggregation-Induced Fluorescence Emission for Cell Imaging and Detection of Fe3+ Ions

Polymeric nanoparticles, which show aggregation-induced luminescence emission, have been successfully prepared from larch bark, a natural renewable biomass resource, in a simple, rapid ultrasonic fragmentation method. The structure, element, particle size and molecular weight distribution of larch bark extracts (LBE) were studied by FTIR, XPS, TEM, XRD and linear mode mass spectrometry, respectively. LBE was found containing large numbers of aromatic rings, displaying an average particle size of about 4.5 nm and mainly presenting tetramers proanthocyanidins. High concentration, poor solvent, low temperature and high viscosity restricted the rotation and vibration of the aromatic rings in LBE, leading to the formation of J-aggregates and enhancing the aggregation-induced fluorescence emission. LBE possessed good resistance to photobleaching under ultraviolet light (200 mW/m²). Cytotoxicity experiments for 24 h and flow cytometry experiments for 3 days proved that even the concentrations of LBE as high as 1 mg/mL displayed non-toxic to MG-63 cells. Therefore, LBE could be employed for MG-63 cell imaging, with similar nuclear staining to the DAPI. The effects of different metal ions on the fluorescence emission intensity of LBE were analyzed and exhibited that Fe³⁺ owned obvious fluorescence quenching effect on LBE, while other metal ions possessed little or weak effect. Furthermore, the limit of detection (LOD) of Fe³⁺ was evaluated as 0.17 μM.

Nanocellulose Production: Exploring the Enzymatic Route and Residues of Pulp and Paper Industry

Increasing environmental and sustainability concerns, caused by current population growth, has promoted a raising utilization of renewable bio-resources for the production of materials and energy. Recently, nanocellulose (NC) has been receiving great attention due to its many attractive features such as non-toxic nature, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, associated with its mechanical properties and those related to its nanoscale, emerging as a promising material in many sectors, namely packaging, regenerative medicine, and electronics, among others. Nanofibers and nanocrystals, derived from cellulose sources, have been mainly produced by mechanical and chemical treatments; however, the use of cellulases to obtain NC attracted much attention due to their environmentally friendly character. This review presents an overview of general concepts in NC production. Especial emphasis is given to enzymatic hydrolysis processes using cellulases and the utilization of pulp and paper industry residues. Integrated process for the production of NC and other high-value products through enzymatic hydrolysis is also approached. Major challenges found in this context are discussed along with its properties, potential application, and future perspectives of the use of enzymatic hydrolysis as a pretreatment in the scale-up of NC production.

Valorization of Colombian fique (Furcraea bedinghausii) for production of cellulose nanofibers and its application in hydrogels

Cellulose nanofibers were obtained from the Colombian fique (Furcraea bedinghausii) and Acrylic hydrogels (H) and reinforced acrylic hydrogels with fique nanofibres (HRFN) were synthesized, using the solution polymerization method. The extraction was carried out using a combined extraction method (chemical procedures and ultrasound radiation). The raw material (NAT-F), bleached fibers (B-F), hydrolyzed fibers and fibers treated with ultrasound (US-F) were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermal stability analysis; also, in order to have a comparison criterion, a commercial microcrystalline cellulose sample (CC) was analyzed, which demonstrated the extraction of fique cellulose. The surface morphology of the NAT-F and the B-F was determined by scanning electron microscopy and the average particle size of the nanofibers was made through transmission electron microscopy. In H y HRFN the strain percent and compression resistance (Rc) were measured. The fique nanofibers showed diameter and length averages of 25.2 ± 6.2 nm and 483.8 ± 283.2 nm respectively. Maximum degradation temperature was 317 °C. HRFN presented higher compression resistance (16.39 ± 4.30 kPa) and this resistance was 2.5 greater than the resistance of H (6.49 ± 2.48 kPa). The results indicate that fique lignocellulosic matrix has potential application for obtaining polymeric type composite materials.

Unrevealing model compounds of soil conditioners impacts on the wheat straw autohydrolysis efficiency and enzymatic hydrolysis

BACKGROUND

Soil-derived exogenous ash (EA) poses a challenge toward lignocellulosic autohydrolysis due to its buffering capacity. Previous works focusing on this phenomenon have failed to also investigate the role that soluble salts, and organic matter plays in this system. Herein, sodium phosphate and sodium humate were employed as model buffering compounds representing soluble salts and organic matter and dosed into a de-ashed wheat straw (DWS) autohydrolysis process to show the potential impacts of WS attached soil conditioners on the WS autohydrolysis efficiency which would further affect the enzymatic digestibility of autohydrolyzed WS.

RESULTS

Results showed that with the increasing loadings of sodium phosphate and sodium humate resulted in elevated pH values (from 4.0 to 5.1 and from 4.1 to 4.7, respectively). Meanwhile, the reductions of xylan removal yields from ~ 84.3-61.4% to 72.3-53.0% by loading (1-30 g/L) sodium phosphate and sodium humate during WS autohydrolysis lead to a significant decrease of cellulose accessibilities which finally lead to a reduction of the enzymatic digestibility of autohydrolyzed WS from ~ 75.4-77.2% to 47.3-57.7%.

CONCLUSION

The existence of different types soil conditioner model compounds results in various component fractions from autohydrolyzed WS in the process of autohydrolysis. A lack of sufficient xylan removal was found to drive the significant decrease in enzymatic accessibility. The results demonstrated the various effects of two typical tested soil conditioners on WS autohydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis.

High-intensity ultrasound-assisted formation of cellulose nanofiber scaffold with low and high lignin content and their cytocompatibility with gingival fibroblast cells

Cellulose nanofiber (CNF) hydrogels with low lignin (8%) (LL-CNF) and high lignin (18%) (HL-CNF) content were produced at nominal powers of 240, 720 and 1200 W using high-intensity ultrasound technology (HIUS). Freeze-dried CNF hydrogels were evaluated as scaffolds for gingival fibroblast cells proliferation aiming biomedical applications. HIUS processing improved the dispersibility of the CNF and increased the water retention value by more than 5 times. The LL-CNF had a maximum fibrillation yield of 46 wt.%, whereas the HL-CNF had a maximum fibrillation yield of 40 wt.% at nominal power of ≥720 W. Regardless of the lignin content, the CNF hydrogels exhibited a typical elastic gel-like behavior with the highest elasticity of 263 Pa. After freeze-drying, the CNF aerogels had porosity ≥ 96.8%, and swelling capacity up to 42.1 g PBS/g aerogel. Moreover, the cell proliferation assay showed no differences in proliferation among the LL-CNF and HL-CNF scaffolds up to 11 days. Therefore, CNF scaffolds prepared with lignin content up to 18% present promising application in the biomedical field.

Microstructure and physiochemical properties of meat sausages based on nanocellulose-stabilized emulsions

Here we prepared some meat sausages using soybean oil in pure liquid form or pre-emulsified form stabilized with nanocelluloses (NCs) to partially replace pork back-fat and investigated the effects of NC types (sisal cellulose nanofiber, cotton cellulose nanofiber, and cotton cellulose nanocrystal) on the physicochemical properties and microstructure of the sausages. The physicochemical properties, including cooking loss, water holding capacity (WHC), textural properties, and rheological behavior, were evaluated. The results show that the sausages with pre-emulsified oil exhibited much-improved water and fat binding capacities, with significantly increased hardness, springiness, and chewiness. Additionally, pre-emulsifying soybean oil provided a more compact structure with smaller cavities. The sausages with different NCs had no significant difference in textural and microstructural properties, whereas they presented different water and fat binding capacities. From the results, it is concluded that NC-based emulsions are a viable fat replacer for meat sausages by providing similar stability and textural attributes.

Clove essential oil emulsion-filled cellulose nanofiber hydrogel produced by high-intensity ultrasound technology for tissue engineering applications

High-intensity ultrasound (HIUS) was used to produce emulsion-filled cellulose nanofiber (CNF) hydrogel using clove essential oil (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 wt%) as dispersed phase towards tissue engineering applications. The novel encapsulating systems obtained using HIUS specific energy at the levels of 0.10, 0.17, and 0.24 kJ/g were characterized by oil entrapment efficiency, microstructure, water retention value, color parameters, and viscoelastic properties. Freeze-dried emulsion-filled CNF hydrogels were characterized by porosity and swelling capacity. In addition, human gingival fibroblast cell cytocompatibility tests were performed to evaluate their potential applications as tissue engineering scaffold. The clove essential oil content strongly affected the oil entrapment efficiency, water retention value, color difference and whiteness of the prepared emulsion-filled CNF hydrogel. And, the HIUS energy only affected the yellowness of the emulsion-filled CNF hydrogel. Via HIUS processing, the CNF hydrogel successfully acted as a continuous phase in the emulsion-filled gel system with maximum oil entrapment efficiency of 34% when 0.5 wt% clove essential oil was added to the system. The encapsulating systems had predominantly gel-like property with maximum elastic modulus of 411 Pa. Furthermore, the emulsion-filled CNF hydrogels with the addition of clove essential oil up to 0.5 wt% indicated good cell viability rates (74-101%) to human gingival fibroblast cells. The newly developed clove essential oil emulsion-filled CNF hydrogel shows desirable cytocompatibility characteristics and can be considered as an alternative scaffold for tissue engineering applications.

A review on nanocellulose as a lightweight filler of polyolefin composites

Nanocellulose (NC) possesses low density, high aspect ratio, impressive mechanical properties, nanoscale dimensions, which shows huge potential applications as a reinforced filler. Polyolefin (PO), represented by polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), has been widely used in industries. Recently nanocellulose/polyolefin nanocomposites (NC/PO nanocomposites) have caught more attention from the application of automotive components, aerospace, furniture, building, home appliances, and sport. In this review, the surface modifications of nanocellulose and polyolefin are summarized respectively, such as surface adsorption modification, small molecule modification, and graft copolymerization modification. The common preparations of NC/PO nanocomposites are discussed, including the melting compounding, the solvent casting, and the in-situ polymerization. The lightweight, mechanical properties, and aging-resistant properties of NC/PO nanocomposites are highlighted. Finally, the potentials and challenges for industrial production development of NC/PO nanocomposites are discussed.

Locally Controlled Release of Methotrexate and Alendronate by Thermo-Sensitive Hydrogels for Synergistic Inhibition of Osteosarcoma Progression

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a serious primary bone malignant tumor that can easily affect children and adolescents. Chemotherapy is one of the important and feasible clinical treatment strategies for the treatment of OS at present, which is severely limited due to insufficient retention time, poor penetration ability, and serious side effects of current anti-tumor drug preparations. In this work, a novel injectable thermo-sensitive hydrogel (mPEG₄₅-PLV₁₉) loaded with methotrexate and alendronate, and the sustained release at the tumor site synergistically inhibited the progression of OS. The mPEG₄₅-PLV₁₉ shows excellent physical and chemical properties. Compared with other treatment groups, the in vivo treatment of gel+ methotrexate + alendronate effectively inhibited the growth of tumor. More importantly, it significantly reduced bone destruction and lung metastasis caused by OS. Therefore, this injectable thermo-sensitive hydrogel drug delivery system has broad prospects for OS chemotherapy.

Nanocellulose: From Fundamentals to Advanced Applications

Over the past few years, nanocellulose (NC), cellulose in the form of nanostructures, has been proved to be one of the most prominent green materials of modern times. NC materials have gained growing interests owing to their attractive and excellent characteristics such as abundance, high aspect ratio, better mechanical properties, renewability, and biocompatibility. The abundant hydroxyl functional groups allow a wide range of functionalizations via chemical reactions, leading to developing various materials with tunable features. In this review, recent advances in the preparation, modification, and emerging application of nanocellulose, especially cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), are described and discussed based on the analysis of the latest investigations (particularly for the reports of the past 3 years). We start with a concise background of cellulose, its structural organization as well as the nomenclature of cellulose nanomaterials for beginners in this field. Then, different experimental procedures for the production of nanocelluloses, their properties, and functionalization approaches were elaborated. Furthermore, a number of recent and emerging uses of nanocellulose in nanocomposites, Pickering emulsifiers, wood adhesives, wastewater treatment, as well as in new evolving biomedical applications are presented. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of NC-based emerging materials are discussed.

Preparation and Properties of Cassava Residue Cellulose Nanofibril/Cassava Starch Composite Films

Because of its non-toxic, pollution-free, and low-cost advantages, environmentally-friendly packaging is receiving widespread attention. However, using simple technology to prepare environmentally-friendly packaging with excellent comprehensive performance is a difficult problem faced by the world. This paper reports a very simple and environmentally-friendly method. The hydroxyl groups of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) were modified by introducing malic acid and the silane coupling agent KH-550, and the modified CNF were added to cassava starch as a reinforcing agent to prepare film with excellent mechanical, hydrophobic, and barrier properties. In addition, due to the addition of malic acid and a silane coupling agent, the dispersibility and thermal stability of the modified CNFs became significantly better. By adjusting the order of adding the modifiers, the hydrophobicity of the CNFs and thermal stability were increased by 53.5% and 36.9% ± 2.7%, respectively. At the same time, the addition of modified CNFs increased the tensile strength, hydrophobicity, and water vapor transmission coefficient of the starch-based composite films by 1034%, 129.4%, and 35.95%, respectively. This material can be widely used in the packaging of food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and medical consumables.

Reducing end modification on cellulose nanocrystals: strategy, characterization, applications and challenges

Different from traditional chemical surface modification, localized modification of the reducing end groups of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), i.e. the active aldehyde groups, provides new opportunities for diverse functional applications of this renewable nanomaterial without altering its surface chemistry and properties. Numerous reviews have deeply discussed the surface modification of the hydroxyl groups of CNCs, but no critical comment has been reported on the reducing end modification approach. This review is a comprehensive summary on the modification of the CNC reducing end, presenting the reaction mechanisms and conditions, discussing the different chemical modification strategies and characterization techniques, potential applications and future challenges in this field. In addition, the comparison between surface and end modification strategies of CNCs will highlight the potential of reducing end-functionalized CNCs to be used in various applications as an alternative to traditional surface-modified CNCs, or as additional functional nanoparticles for the design of advanced functional materials.

Preparation of Nanocellulose Using Ionic Liquids: 1-Propyl-3-Methylimidazolium Chloride and 1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium Chloride

Cellulose nanocrystals were prepared using ionic liquids (ILs), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [EMIM][Cl] and 1-propyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [PMIM][Cl], from microcrystalline cellulose. The resultant samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The XRD results showed that nanocellulose obtained by treatment with both ILs preserved basic cellulose I structure, but crystallinity index of samples (except for Sigmacell treated with [EMIM][Cl]) was lower in comparison to the starting microcrystalline cellulose. The DLS results indicated noticeably smaller particle sizes of prepared cellulose for material treated with [PMIM][Cl] compared to cellulose samples hydrolyzed with [EMIM][Cl], which were prone to agglomeration. The obtained nanocellulose had a rod-like structure that was confirmed by electron microscopy analyses. Moreover, the results described in this paper indicate that cation type of ILs influences particle size and morphology of cellulose after treatment with ionic liquids.

Synthesis and conservation of cellulose nanocrystals

This work deals with the preparation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) from microcrystalline cellulose by acid hydrolysis, discusses how their characteristics varied according to the drying technique used for their conservation and analyzes their re-dispersion in water. A stable water dispersion of "rod" or "needle" type CNC (≈5 nm of diameter, 276 nm of length and 41 mV of Z potencial) was initially prepared and then dried by lyophilization and spray. Thus powders with similar cristalinity but different morphology were obtained, while CNC seemed to aggregate in such an extent that hindered their re-dispersion in water. Only lyophilized CNC could be re-dispersed in water and maintained stable in dispersion for at least 24 h, when working with concentrations of CNC higher than a certain minimum value (3 %) and after submitting them to intense ultrasound treatments. The tested time achieved should be enough to allow their subsequent use in several applications.

Stimuli-responsive self-assembly of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs): Structures, functions, and biomedical applications

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have received a significant amount of attention from the researchers. It is used as a nanomaterial for various applications due to its excellent physiochemical properties for the last few decades. Self-assembly is a phenomenon where autonomous reorganization of randomly oriented species occurs elegantly. Self-assembly is responsible for the formation of the hierarchical cholesteric structure of CNCs. This process is highly influenced by several factors, such as the surface chemistry of the nanoparticles, intermolecular forces, and the fundamental laws of thermodynamics. Various conventional experimental designs and molecular dynamics (MD) studies have been applied to determine the possible mechanism of self-assembly in CNCs. Different external factors, like pH, temperature, magnetic/electric fields, vacuum, also influence the self-assembly process in CNCs. Notably, better responses have been observed in CNCs-grafted polymer nanocomposites. These functionalized CNCs with stimuli-responsive self-assembly have immense practical applications in modern biotechnology and medicine. Herein, we have concisely discussed the mechanism of the self-assembled CNCs in the presence of different external factors such as pH, temperature, electric/magnetic fields, and their biomedical applications.

Potential of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Resources in Nanocellulose Hydrogel Production for Versatile Applications: A Review

Oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) is considered the cheapest natural fiber with good properties and exists abundantly in Malaysia. It has great potential as an alternative main raw material to substitute woody plants. On the other hand, the well-known polymeric hydrogel has gathered a lot of interest due to its three-dimensional (3D) cross-linked network with high porosity. However, some issues regarding its performance like poor interfacial connectivity and mechanical strength have been raised, hence nanocellulose has been introduced. In this review, the plantation of oil palm in Malaysia is discussed to show the potential of OPEFB as a nanocellulose material in hydrogel production. Nanocellulose can be categorized into three nano-structured celluloses, which differ in the processing method. The most popular nanocellulose hydrogel processing methods are included in this review. The 3D printing method is taking the lead in current hydrogel production due to its high complexity and the need for hygiene products. Some of the latest advanced applications are discussed to show the high commercialization potential of nanocellulose hydrogel products. The authors also considered the challenges and future direction of nanocellulose hydrogel. OPEFB has met the requirements of the marketplace and product value chains as nanocellulose raw materials in hydrogel applications.

Preparation of bio-eco based cellulose nanomaterials from used disposal paper cups through citric acid hydrolysis

The Used Disposal Paper Cups (UDPCs) have become a concern to the solid waste management sector as scientists triggered the problems in recent years, to proceed forward in developing the process for this issue. Based on this concern, the present study emphasizes on the isolation of a novel bio-eco based Cellulose NanoCrystals (CNCs) from UDPCs through citric acid hydrolysis. The effect of acid concentration on microstructure and yield of CNCs are highlighted. The optimized yield (55 wt.%) has an appearance of rod-like structure with a width of 13.7 ± 0.6 nm which results due to 76 wt.% of acid hydrolyzed CNCs. The colloidal stability, crystallinity index, presence of functional groups and elemental composition in CNCs (76 wt.%) were identified by employing zeta potential, XRD, conductometric test and FTIR techniques. Finally, the thermal stability of CNCs (76 wt.%) was investigated by thermo-gravimetric analysis.