Chapter 15: Electrospinning of Nanocellulose for Advanced Nanocomposite Materials

The increasing environmental concerns enable the application of biorenewable polymers in the production of nanomaterials. Also, the utilization of biodegradable nanofibres for advanced materials is of key importance. Recently, nanocellulose has drawn increasing interest among researchers for the development of advanced materials due to its numerous unique properties and functionalities. Cellulose nanofibre-based nanocomposites find their application from filtration and separation of chemicals to tissue engineering and drug-delivery. Nanofibres with ultra-high aspect ratios can be realized using the electrospinning technique. Electrospun nanofibres based on cellulosic materials are potential candidates for application as sustainable functional nanomaterials. In this chapter, the sources and availability of nanocellulose and their derivatives are discussed. Moreover, the impact and application of the amalgamation of nanocellulose in different precursor polymers to obtain advance materials by an electrospinning process are discussed in detail. In this regard, the main challenges and limitations in working with electrospun nanocellulose-based materials are identified with a focus on the improvement and development of available technologies.