Vijay Kumar Thakur (Ph.D.) is a Staff Scientist in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineeringat Washington State University -U.S.A. He is Editorial Board Member of several International Journals including Advanced Chemistry Letters, Lignocelluloses, Drug Inventions Today (Elsevier), International Journal of Energy Engineering, Journal of Textile Science & Engineering (U.S.A)> to name a few and also member of scientific bodies around the world.His former appointments include Research Scientist in Temasek Laboratories, Nanyang Technological University, SINGAPORE, Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, LHU-TAIWAN and Post Doctorate in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University, U.S.A.In his academic career, he has published more than 100 research articles, patent and conference proceedings in the field of polymers and materials science. He has published ten books and twenty-five book chapters on the advanced state-of-the-art of polymers and materials science with numerous publishers. He has extensive expertise in the synthesis of polymers (natural/ synthetic), nano materials, nanocomposites, biocomposites, graft copolymers, high performance capacitors and electrochromic materials.

• Preface xvii Part 1: Synthesis and Characterization of Nanocellulose based Polymer Nanocomposites 1 1 Nanocellulose-Based Polymer Nanocomposites: An Introduction 3Manju Kumari Thakur, Vijay Kumar Thakur and Raghavan Prasanth 1.1 Introduction 3 1.2 Nanocellulose: Source, Structure, Synthesis and Applications 5 1.3 Conclusions 12 References 13 2 Bacterial  Cellulose-Based  Nanocomposites: Roadmap for Innovative Materials 17Ana R. P. Figueiredo, Carla Vilela, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Armando J. D. Silvestre and Carmen S. R. Freire 2.1 Introduction 17 2.2 Bacterial Cellulose Production, Properties and Applications 18 2.3 Bacterial Cellulose-Based Polymer Nanocomposites 28 2.4 Bacterial Cellulose-Based Hybrid Nanocomposite Materials 41 2.5 Acknowledgements                References 55 3 Polyurethanes Reinforced with Cellulose 65María L. Auad, Mirna A. Mosiewicki and Norma E. Marcovich 3.1 Introduction 65 3.2 Conventional Polyurethanes Reinforced with Nanocellulose Fibers 67 3.3 Waterborne Polyurethanes Reinforced with Nanocellulose Fibers 76 3.4 Biobased Polyurethanes Reinforced with Nanocellulose Fibers 78 Conclusions and Final Remarks 84 References 85 4 Bacterial Cellulose and Its Use in Renewable Composites 89Dianne R. Ruka, George P. Simon and Katherine M. Dean 4.1 Introduction 89 4.2 Cellulose Properties and Production 91 4.3 Tailor-Designing Bacterial Cellulose 105 4.4 Bacterial Cellulose Composites 114 4.5 Biodegradability 121 4.6 Conclusions 123 References 123 5 Nanocellulose-Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites Fabricated by In-Situ Polymerization Technique 131Dipa Ray and Sunanda Sain 5.1 Introduction 131 5.2 Cellulose as Filler in Polymer Matrix Composites 132 5.3 Cellulose Nanocomposites 138 5.4 In-Situ Polymerized Cellulose Nanocomposites 138 5.5 Novel Materials with Wide Application Potential 140 5.6 Effect of In-Situ Polymerization on Biodegradation Behavior of Cellulose Nanocomposites 154 5.7 Future of Cellulose Nanocomposites 157 References 159 6 Multifunctional Ternary Polymeric Nanocomposites Based on Cellulosic Nanore- inforcements 163D. Puglia, E. Fortunati, C. Santulli and J. M. Kenny 6.1 Introduction 163 6.2 Cellulosic Reinforcements (CR) 166 6.3 Interaction of CNR with Different Nanoreinforcements 171 6.4 Ternary Polymeric Systems Based on CNR 179 6.5 Conclusions 190 Acknowledgments 191 References 191 7 Effect of Fiber Length on Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene Nanobiocomposites Reinforced with Kenaf Fiber and Nanoclay 199Na Sim and Seong Ok Han 7.1 Introduction 199 7.2 Experimental 200 7.3 Results and Discussion 202 7.4 Conclusions 211 References 211 8 Cellulose-Based Liquid Crystalline Composite Systems 215J. P. Borges, J. P. Canejo, S. N. Fernandes and M. H. Godinho 8.1 Introduction 215 8.2 Liquid Crystalline Phases of Cellulose and Its Derivatives 216 8.3 Conclusion  232 Acknowledgements 232 References 232 9 Recent Advances in Nanocomposites Based on Biodegradable Polymers and Nanocellulose 237J. I. Morán, L. N. Ludueña and V. A. Alvarez 9.1 Introduction 237 9.2 Cellulose Bionanocomposites Incorporation of Cellulose Nanofibers into Biodegradable Polymers: General Effect on the Properties 243 9.3 Future Perspectives and Concluding Remarks 249 References 250 Part 2: Processing and Applications Nanocellulose based Polymer Nanocomposites 255 10 Cellulose  Nano/Microfibers-Reinforced  Polymer Composites: Processing Aspects 257K. Priya Dasan and A. Sonia 10.1 Introduction 257 10.2 The Role of Isolation Methods on Composite Properties 260 10.3 Pretreatment of Fibers and Its Role in Composite Performance 262 10.4 Different Processing Methodologies in Cellulose Nanocomposites and Their Effect on Final Properties 264 10.5 Conclusion 268 References 268 11 Nanocellulose-Based Polymer Nanocomposite: Isolation, Characterization and Applications 273H. P. S. Abdul Khalil, Y. Davoudpour, N. A. Sri Aprilia, Asniza Mustapha, Md. Nazrul Islam and Rudi Dungani 11.1 Introduction 274 11.2 Cellulose and Nanocellulose 274 11.3 Isolation of Nanocellulose 276 11.4 Characterization of Nanocellulose 283 11.5 Drying of Nanocellulose 289 11.6 Modifications of Nanocellulose 290 11.7 Nanocellulose-Based Polymer Nanocomposites 295 11.8 Conclusion 302 Acknowledgement 303 References 303 12 Electrospinning of Cellulose: Process and Applications 311Raghavan Prasanth, Shubha Nageswaran, Vijay Kumar Takur and Jou-Hyeon Ahn 12.1 Cellulosic Fibers 311 12.2 Crystalline Structure of Electrospun Cellulose 312 12.3 Applications of Cellulose 313 12.4 Electrospinning 313 12.5 Electrospinning of Cellulose 317 12.6 Solvents for Electrospinning of Cellulose 318 12.7 Cellulose Composite Fibers 333 12.8 Conclusions 336 Abbreviations 336 Symbols 336 References 337 13 Effect of Kenaf Cellulose Whiskers on Cellulose Acetate Butyrate Nanocomposites Properties 341Lukmanul Hakim Zaini, M. T. Paridah, M. Jawaid, AlothmanY. Othman and A. H. Juliana 13.1 Introduction 341 13.2 Experimental 342 13.3 Characterization 344 13.4 Result and Discussion 345 13.5 Conclusions 352 Acknowledgements 353 References 353 14 Processes in Cellulose Derivative Structures 355Mihaela Dorina Onofrei, Adina Maria Dobos and Silvia Ioan 14.1 Introduction 355 14.2 Liquid Crystalline Polymers 357 14.3 Liquid Crystal Dispersed in a Polymer Matrix 359 14.4 Techniques for Obtaining Liquid Crystals Dispersed into a Polymeric Matrix 360 14.5 Some Methods to Characterize the Liquid Crystal State 360 14.6 Liquid Crystal State of Cellulose and Cellulose Derivatives in Solution 364 14.7 Cellulose Derivatives/Polymers Systems 373 Conclusions 383 References 384 15 Cellulose Nanocrystals: Nanostrength for Industrial and Biomedical Applications 393Anuj Kumar, Samit Kumar, Yuvraj Singh Negi and Veena Choudhary 15.1 Introduction 393 15.2 Cellulose and Its Sources 394 15.3 Nanocellulose 396 15.4 Cellulose Nanocrystals 398 15.5 Aqueous Suspension and Drying of CNCs 408 15.6 Functionalization of CNCs 410 15.7 Processing of CNCs for Biocomposites 15.8 Applications of CNCs-Reinforced Biocomposites 416 15.9 Biomedical Applications 421 15.10 Conclusion 427 Acknowledgements 428 References 428 16 Medical Applications of Cellulose and Its Derivatives: Present and Future 437Karthika Ammini Sindhu, Raghavan Prasanth and Vijay Kumar Thakur 16.1 Historical Overview 438 16.2 Use of Cellulose for Treatment of Renal Failure 439 16.3 Types of Membranes  444 16.4 Use of Cellulose for Wound Dressing 447 16.5 Cotton as Wound Dressing Material 448 16.6 Biosynthesis, Structure and Properties of MC 450 16.7 MC as a Wound Healing System 451 16.8 Microbial Cellulose/Ag Nanocomposite 456 16.9 Nanocomposites of Microbial Cellulose and Chitosan 458 16.10 Commercialization of Microbial Cellulose 461 16.11 Use of Cellulose as Implant Material 462 16.12 Dental Applications 470 Conclusions 471 Abbreviations 472 Symbols 472 References 473 17 Bacterial Cellulose and Its Multifunctional Composites: Synthesis and Properties 479V. Thiruvengadam and Satish Vitta 17.1 Introduction 479 17.2 Magnetic Composites 485 17.3 Composites with Catalytic Activity 489 17.4 Electrically Conducting Composites 492 17.5 Composites as Fuel Cell Components, Electrodes and Membrane 496 17.6 Optically Transparent and Mechanically Flexible Composites 499 17.7 Summary and Outlook 502 References 502