Nanocellulose-based functional paper

Cellulose nanopaper (CNP) is a fascinating free-standing thin film material, prepared from renewable nanocellulose and displaying special properties such as transparency, haze, thermal stability, mechanical strength, and flexibility. The nanostructured nature of CNP enables gas barrier films and high specific surface areas for interface functionalization. Re-engineering CNP by physical and chemical design allows to tailor its properties, enabling hydrophobic and transparent paper, smart sensors, substrates for optoelectronic devices, and conductive or luminescent papers. This chapter rationally describes the chemical and physical manipulations that can be performed on CNP to modulate its properties, classifying them as: covalent chemical modification on nanocellulose before processing them into nanopaper thin films; covalent chemical modification on CNP surface; and noncovalent modification of CNP by coating or blending nanocellulose with other materials.