Bacterial cellulose nanocomposites: An all-nano type of material

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a fascinating polymer with a three-dimensional structure formed by nanofibers of pure cellulose, synthesized by some bacteria and organized as a coherent network. Its biocompatibility and remarkable mechanical properties have promoted scientific interest for its use in a variety of applications including biomedical, electrical, among others. However, it is the possibility of incorporating nanosized materials into the coherent 3-D network structure displayed by BC what has propelled multiple investigations on the development of BC nanocomposites for different applications. Here we report the different methods and techniques used so far for the BC nanocomposites production. We have focused on the processing techniques that allow the incorporation of functional nanoreinforcements, nanofillers and additional phases without disturbing the original network structure, leading to the formation of nanomaterials. Processing methods, resulting structure-property relationships and potential applications of these novel nanocomposites are discussed and showcased as a fair example of integrated design and manufacture of materials.