Nanocellulose: New horizons in organic chemistry and beyond

The study of different forms of nanocellulose is a fast-growing field with many advantages. As a biobased polymer, it holds strong promise to replace petrochemical solid supports that need to be phased out. While there are already a plethora of nanocellulose applications, e.g., in the fields of material science, engineering, and water treatment, there is a surprising lack of reports concerning their applications in catalysis and organic chemistry. A crucial property of nanocellulose is its well-defined surface structure, which enables surface modifications to reach useful solid-supported catalysts and reagents. In this perspective, we explore the use of unmodified and modified variants of nanocellulose in organic chemistry. We further propose that the use of mechanochemistry could be a future application to increase the activity and eliminate the requirement for aqueous media due to nanocellulose’s dispersion issues.