Abstract
Recently, cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) have gained attention from
researchers around the world due to their favourable properties such as low cost, nontoxicity, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and as small, strong hydrophilic materials,
which render them favourable candidates for the preparation of hydrogels. The
incorporation of CNC within a hydrogel matrix enables the hydrogel to sustain its
shape during swelling-deswelling. Besides absorbing and retaining large amounts of
water, hydrogels also respond to specific external environmental factors, such as
temperature, pH, the presence of ions, and concentration, making them appealing to be
engineered for drug delivery applications. In addition, CNCs also confer high
mechanical strength and thermal stability to the hydrogels, which expand their potential
in biomedical applications. This chapter focuses on the synthesis of nano cellulosebased hydrogels for drug delivery applications, including the extraction of CNC from
various sources, fabrication of hydrogels using chemical and radiation crosslinking, the
chemical, physical, and ‘smart’ properties of the hydrogels, and their application in
controlled drug delivery.