Cellulose nanocrystal-based synthetic biodegradable biopolymeric composites: A comprehensive review on recent progress

Melkamu Birlie Genet; Xinshu Zhuang; Xuesong Tan; Quan Zhang; Changlin Miao; Zhanying Zhang; Addis Lemessa Jembere

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140098

Cellulose nanocrystal-based synthetic biodegradable biopolymeric composites: A comprehensive review on recent progress

Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Jan 21:140098. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140098. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Melkamu Birlie Genet¹, Xinshu Zhuang², Xuesong Tan³, Quan Zhang⁴, Changlin Miao³, Zhanying Zhang⁵, Addis Lemessa Jembere⁶

Affiliations

¹ School of Energy Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China; Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New and Renewable Energy Research and Development, Guangzhou 510640, PR China; Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, PO Box 26, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Electronic address: [email protected].
² School of Energy Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China; Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New and Renewable Energy Research and Development, Guangzhou 510640, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New and Renewable Energy Research and Development, Guangzhou 510640, PR China.
⁴ Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New and Renewable Energy Research and Development, Guangzhou 510640, PR China; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Ma'anshan, Anhui 243002, PR China.
⁵ School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia.
⁶ Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, PO Box 26, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; Faculty of Production and Power Engineering, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Balicka 116B, 30-149 Krakow, Poland.

PMID: 39848381
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140098

Abstract

With the worldwide transformation to a circular and low-carbon economy, the demand for sustainable materials has skyrocketed in recent years. Of various methods, sustainable and biodegradable biopolymers derived from renewable bioresources have received significant interest. Synthetic biodegradable biopolymers offer tremendous advantages over natural biodegradable biopolymers due to their stability, flexibility, and a wide range of achievable properties to fit several applications. However, the widespread adoption of synthetic biodegradable polymers in high-performance applications is limited by shortcomings in their functional properties. Researchers are actively working to enhance the properties of these materials. A potential solution to improve the performance of biopolymers is to reinforce them with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). This review delves into the inclusion of CNCs into synthetic biodegradable biopolymer blends, examining their impact on the mechanical, thermal, morphological, rheological, and barrier properties. Surface modification of CNCs promotes a uniform distribution and strong bonding with the polymer matrix which is pivotal to unlocking their outstanding properties. Moreover, this review highlights the promising potential of CNCs to enhance the performance of synthetic biodegradable composites for a more sustainable future, particularly in packaging applications.

Keywords: Biopolymer; Biopolymer composite; Cellulose nanocrystals; Synthetic biodegradable biopolymer.

Publication types

Review