context of the incessant fossil fuel consumption and the various ecological issues
including climate change. In this regard, nanocellulose-based aerogel, flexible film,
as well as the three-dimensional structures have been adroitly employed to power
portable electronics and electric vehicles as well as fabricate energy capture devices
(Lasrado et al. 2020). The authors have reviewed that matrix-reinforcement with
nanocellulose augments the power conversion efficacy of solar cells and the piezoelectric performance of piezoelectric materials. By the same token, sustainability,
biodegradability, and surface tailorability of nanocellulose project it to be a substrate
of choice in fabricating flexible electrodes as well as separators in lithium-ion
batteries (LIBs) and supercapacitors. To cite a recent endeavor, the effect of morphology and crystallinity of carbonized CNF and CNC (c-CNF and c-CNC) on the
overall electrochemical reactions in Li metal-based batteries were assessed (Kim
et al. 2019). Interestingly, the cell’s augmented specific capacity (and downscaling
of the overall electrical conductivity of the electrode) was bracketed together with
carbon derived from the amorphous region of CNF. Contrastingly, the high capacity
of 412 mAh g
À1 at a current density of 0.2 A g
À1 was recorded for the c-CNF
electrode with respect to 370 mAh g
À1 for the corresponding c-CNC counterpart,
although a better rate capacity was recorded for the latter in comparison to the
former. Pertinently, a commendable improvement in Coulombic efficiency and cycle
stability (over 120 cycles) was documented on the application of polypropylene
(PP) separators modified with c-CNF and c-CNC in Li/Cu cells (Fig. 4.6b).
On the other hand, various CNF aerogel nanocomposites (exhibiting ~20–350 g
oil removal efficacy per g of the absorbent) based on the use of silane agents, PVA
and TiO 2 , have been ably employed for the removal of oil (Korhonen et al. 2011;
Zheng et al. 2014; Zhang et al. 2014). Similarly, the selective absorption of various
organic solvents, oils, milk fat, and hydrophobic proteins was documented for
cellulosic scaffold, fabricated via freeze-drying ice-templating of chemically modified (Abraham et al. 2017). The report by Yang and Cranston (2014) merits special
mention here. An ultralightweight CNC aerogel, with bimodal (mesopores <50 nm
and macropores >1 μm) pore distribution, was fabricated by freeze-drying of a
hydrogel, obtained as a consequence of hydrazone cross-linking of hydrazidemodified CNCs with aldehyde-modified CNCs. Pertinently, the system could absorb
both dodecane (72 Æ 5 g/g of aerogel) and water (160 Æ 10 g/g of aerogel), thereby
attesting its prospective application as superabsorbent material besides oil/water
separations.
We would also like to bring to the attention of the readers that excellent thermal
and physicochemical attributes of nanocellulose, attributable to their crystalline
structure, could be exploited in designing high-performance oil and gas drilling
systems (Ramasamya and Amanullaha 2020). NC has been found to endow desirable
mud attributes, including viscous properties, augmented fluid loss nature, and
generation of thin mudcake in drilling fluids. The application of NC in oil well
cementing (OWC) (Fig. 4.6c) has been marked with the betterment of the properties
of cement-like structural rigidity and yield stress, assisting to resist unfavorable
4 Harnessing the Sustainable Bioresource, Cellulose at the Nanoscale for. . .
83
including climate change. In this regard, nanocellulose-based aerogel, flexible film,
as well as the three-dimensional structures have been adroitly employed to power
portable electronics and electric vehicles as well as fabricate energy capture devices
(Lasrado et al. 2020). The authors have reviewed that matrix-reinforcement with
nanocellulose augments the power conversion efficacy of solar cells and the piezoelectric performance of piezoelectric materials. By the same token, sustainability,
biodegradability, and surface tailorability of nanocellulose project it to be a substrate
of choice in fabricating flexible electrodes as well as separators in lithium-ion
batteries (LIBs) and supercapacitors. To cite a recent endeavor, the effect of morphology and crystallinity of carbonized CNF and CNC (c-CNF and c-CNC) on the
overall electrochemical reactions in Li metal-based batteries were assessed (Kim
et al. 2019). Interestingly, the cell’s augmented specific capacity (and downscaling
of the overall electrical conductivity of the electrode) was bracketed together with
carbon derived from the amorphous region of CNF. Contrastingly, the high capacity
of 412 mAh g
À1 at a current density of 0.2 A g
À1 was recorded for the c-CNF
electrode with respect to 370 mAh g
À1 for the corresponding c-CNC counterpart,
although a better rate capacity was recorded for the latter in comparison to the
former. Pertinently, a commendable improvement in Coulombic efficiency and cycle
stability (over 120 cycles) was documented on the application of polypropylene
(PP) separators modified with c-CNF and c-CNC in Li/Cu cells (Fig. 4.6b).
On the other hand, various CNF aerogel nanocomposites (exhibiting ~20–350 g
oil removal efficacy per g of the absorbent) based on the use of silane agents, PVA
and TiO 2 , have been ably employed for the removal of oil (Korhonen et al. 2011;
Zheng et al. 2014; Zhang et al. 2014). Similarly, the selective absorption of various
organic solvents, oils, milk fat, and hydrophobic proteins was documented for
cellulosic scaffold, fabricated via freeze-drying ice-templating of chemically modified (Abraham et al. 2017). The report by Yang and Cranston (2014) merits special
mention here. An ultralightweight CNC aerogel, with bimodal (mesopores <50 nm
and macropores >1 μm) pore distribution, was fabricated by freeze-drying of a
hydrogel, obtained as a consequence of hydrazone cross-linking of hydrazidemodified CNCs with aldehyde-modified CNCs. Pertinently, the system could absorb
both dodecane (72 Æ 5 g/g of aerogel) and water (160 Æ 10 g/g of aerogel), thereby
attesting its prospective application as superabsorbent material besides oil/water
separations.
We would also like to bring to the attention of the readers that excellent thermal
and physicochemical attributes of nanocellulose, attributable to their crystalline
structure, could be exploited in designing high-performance oil and gas drilling
systems (Ramasamya and Amanullaha 2020). NC has been found to endow desirable
mud attributes, including viscous properties, augmented fluid loss nature, and
generation of thin mudcake in drilling fluids. The application of NC in oil well
cementing (OWC) (Fig. 4.6c) has been marked with the betterment of the properties
of cement-like structural rigidity and yield stress, assisting to resist unfavorable
4 Harnessing the Sustainable Bioresource, Cellulose at the Nanoscale for. . .
83