Bacterial nanocellulose: Green polymer materials for high performance energy storage applications

Nowadays, the use of clean and renewable energy sources including storage technologies to protect the envi-ronment become an important need and, hence become a priority for the research community. Hence, energy storage technologies are in the process of incorporating ecofriendly and low-cost electrode/electrolyte materials, with superior electrochemical characteristics such as bacterial nanocellulose (BNC), biomaterial waste etc. Among the environmentally friendly materials, the distinctive interconnected network of the BNC structure attracts a wide variety of applications. Its physical and chemical properties such as superior water holding ca-pacity, higher specific surface area, excellent chemical stability, and better mechanical strength including eco friendliness, make it a potential candidate for energy storage applications. The three-dimensionality of net-worked BNC in a conductive matrix can achieve superior electrochemical performance due to effective ion extraction capabilities, needed for faster charging and discharging of the energy storage devices. In this review, recent studies on the application of BNC for energy storage systems such as Li-ion batteries, ultracapacitors, Li-S batteries and other batteries are highlighted. Specifically, cellulose and nanocellulose and their classifications are presented here for the first time. Finally, the views on the future improvement in BNC in the area of energy storage applications are presented.

Automated summary

Nowadays, the research community has recognized the importance of using clean and renewable energy sources, as well as storage technologies, to protect the environment. Among the environmentally friendly materials, bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) has gained attention due to its unique interconnected network structure and superior physical and chemical properties, making it a potential candidate for energy storage applications. This review highlights recent studies on the application of BNC in various energy storage systems, such as Li-ion batteries and ultracapacitors, and discusses the future improvement prospects for BNC in energy storage applications.