Cellulosic biomaterials

Abstract

Cellulose, the most abundant polymer on earth, holds a big potential for different applications in the biomedical field. This book chapter summarizes recent advances of cellulose research with respect to the new biomaterials paradigm. In this context, it is intended to give the reader an overview on the huge variety of cellulosic structures that are provided by nature or can be man-made. It highlights important examples of historical and recent cellulosic biomaterials and touches certain aspects of ongoing developments, which may form the basis for future applications.