1. Preface

Driven by the ' dual carbon strategy ' and green manufacturing, new sustainable materials are becoming the focus of global industrial change. Nanocellulose ( Nanocellulose ) is considered an important candidate to replace petroleum-based polymer materials due to its high strength, light weight, renewable, degradable and easy functionalization. Especially in the medical and health field , nanocellulose is reshaping application scenarios such as medical dressings, tissue engineering scaffolds, and drug sustained release due to its excellent biocompatibility and designability.

2. Structure and preparation technology of nanocellulose

Cellulose is the most abundant natural polymer on earth. It can be deconstructed to the nanometer scale through mechanical, chemical or biological methods to form nanocellulose with high specific surface area and high crystallinity. According to the preparation method and structural characteristics, it can be divided into three major categories:

CNC (Cellulose Nanocrystalline) : Produced by acid hydrolysis, it has high crystallinity, high transparency and rigidity, and is suitable for precision film materials and optical fields.

CNF (Cellulose Nanofiber) : It is produced through high-pressure homogenization, enzymatic method or TEMPO oxidation. It has both crystalline and amorphous regions, good flexibility and easy compounding.

BC (bacterial cellulose) : Synthesized by microorganisms such as Acetobacter, it has high purity, uniform pore structure, excellent biocompatibility, and is widely used in high-end medical materials.

TEMPO oxidation method and enzyme-assisted method are currently relatively mature green preparation routes in the world. TEMPO oxidation can introduce carboxyl groups under mild conditions, improve fiber dispersion and reactivity, help achieve high-quality, highly uniform nanocellulose products, and lay the foundation for subsequent development of medical-grade materials.

3. Key properties of nanocellulose

High mechanical strength : The specific strength and specific modulus are better than steel, and can be used as a high-end composite material to strengthen the skeleton;

Excellent biocompatibility : non-toxic and non-irritating to the human body, with good tissue integration ability;

Multifunctional modifiability : The surface is rich in hydroxyl groups and is easy to carry out functional modifications such as carboxylation, esterification, and grafting;

Strong film-forming and breathable properties : It has natural advantages in the preparation of medical dressings and drug-loaded films;

Green and environmentally friendly : renewable and completely degradable, in line with the sustainable development trend of future medical materials.

4. In-depth application of nanocellulose in the medical field

1. Medical dressings and wound healing

The nanocellulose membrane has a high water content and a three-dimensional structure similar to human skin, which can form a moist healing environment , promote tissue regeneration and reduce the risk of infection. When combined with active substances such as silver ions and chitosan, it can also achieve dual functions of antibacterial and controlled release.

2. Tissue engineering scaffold

The unique network structure of bacterial cellulose makes it an ideal material for constructing artificial skin, cartilage, cornea and other tissue engineering scaffolds. Its high porosity is beneficial to nutrient exchange and cell adhesion, and promotes cell growth and differentiation.

3. Drug sustained release and smart carriers

By regulating the nanopore size and surface functional groups of cellulose, slow release and targeted delivery of drugs can be achieved , improving drug efficacy and stability and reducing side effects. At the same time, it can be combined with peptide, protein or nucleic acid drugs for precision medicine.

4. Medical sensing and smart materials

The high transparency and flexibility of nanocellulose films enable them to be used in biosensors and wearable medical patches , combined with electrochemical or optical detection technologies to achieve continuous, non-invasive physiological monitoring.

5. Industrialization and technology implementation

With the maturity of nanocellulose production technology, the scale of industrialization is rapidly expanding. Traditional laboratory preparation has gradually transitioned to continuous, automated and medical-grade standardized production。

In this process, Nanjing Tianlu Nanotechnology Co., Ltd. relies on its own technical advantages and complete industrial chain layout to promote the actual implementation of nanocellulose in the medical field. The company has a TEMPO oxidation production line and advanced membrane material forming technology, which can realize the full-process production from raw cellulose to nanocellulose dispersion, medical-grade hydrogel and membrane materials.

The company's R&D team maintains long-term cooperation with many universities and scientific research institutes, focusing on the surface modification of high-purity nanocellulose and the innovative development of medical carrier materials , and has achieved pilot transformation in wound dressings, biological scaffolds, drug sustained-release materials, etc.

In addition, Nanjing Tianlu has passed quality management system certification and clean production environment construction to meet GMP -related requirements for medical materials , providing high-quality and scalable raw material guarantees for downstream medical device and pharmaceutical companies. This deep integration of technology and application also enables nanocellulose to truly have the ability to enter clinical practice and the market.

6. Future prospects

In the future, the medical applications of nanocellulose will be further expanded in the following directions:

Functional medical materials : realize the integration of antibacterial, conductive, hemostatic and other functions through molecular design;

Personalized medicine and intelligent diagnosis and treatment : combine 3Dprinting and wearable technology to develop customized implants and flexible sensors;

Green preparation and cost control : achieve large-scale production with low energy consumption and low chemical consumption;

Standardization of clinical applications : Promote the construction of material standard systems and evaluation systems to form a supervised and traceable industrial chain.

Nanjing Tianlu Nanotechnology Co., Ltd. will continue to delve into this strategic new material field and help nanocellulose materials achieve the transition from ' laboratory ' to ' clinical and market ' in the medical and health industry through technological innovation and application cooperation .