Applications of Nanocellulose-Based Nanocomposites

The rapidly developing field of biomedical materials finds various applications for polymeric materials starting from sutures, drug 

Materials used in medicine, e.g., implants have to biocompatible, whatmeans they cannot cause any inflammatory response, rejection, clot formation, cell death, etc. What is more, if it is possible, such material should promote regeneration and be absorbed after a determined period. 

First vascular stents, implants that prevent vessel closure, early vessel recoil and improve the long-term patency of arteries, were produced of metal (BMS—bare metal stents). However, the treatment results were not satisfactory enough (blood vessels still tended to close up and frequent restenosis was observed). In order to improve performance of BMS, drug-eluting stents (DES) were developed. Currently there are three generations of DES stents (Fig. 21.40). 

In comparison with BMS, first DES covered with drugs such as Sirolimus or Paclitaxel significantly reduced in-stent restenosis and the need for revascularization (procedure of stent implantation), but it turned out it can cause very late stent thrombosis, caused by delayed re-endothelialization and presence of a permanent polymer. Second-generation DES were designed with different frame and pol5mier layer that was covered with other drugs. DES of second generation still did not provide 

Another broad medical area in which nanocellulose biocomposites are used is bones, iigaments, and tendons. In 2006 Wan et al. [78] studied composites consisting of hydroxyapatite 

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This book is aimed to provide a detailed knowledge on the issues mentioned above. It also provides a comprehensive overview on the synthesis and applications of nanocellulose-based nanocomposites materials. This book discusses extensive developments for the next generation research in the field of nanocellulose-based nanocomposites. The book contains seventeen chapters and each chapter addresses some specific issues related to nanocellulose and also demonstrates the real potentialities of these materials in different domains. 

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