Nanomaterials and polymers have secured such a promising role in today's life that imagining the modern world without them is almost impossible. Despite numerous advantages of synthetic nanomaterials, issues such as renewability, sustainability, biocompatibility, and cost efficiency have drawn significant attention towards natural products, such as cellulose-based nanomaterials. Over the past decade, conventional nanocelluloses, including cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) have successfully been used for a wide spectrum of applications spanning from nanocomposites, packaging, and mechanical and rheological property modifications, to chemical catalysis and organic templating.

We focus on a newly emerged family of nanocelluloses, called hairy cellulose nanocrystals (HCNC). These nanoparticles comprise a crystalline body, similar to the conventional CNC, but with highly tailored cellulose chains (hairs) protruding from both ends, which provide striking superiority over conventional nanocelluloses. We have been furthering the engineering applications of HCNCs beyond the ultimate capabilities of CNC and CNF for extending the frontiers of sustainable, green nanotechnology.