Cellulose nanowhiskers in electrochemical applications

Over the past couple of years, we have been investigating the use of nanocellulose, in the form of nanocrystals or nanowhiskers, for applications in electrochemical sensor development, for the creation of percolated conducting polymer networks, in supercapacitor material design, and in the preparation of novel electrocatalyst structures. We will give a concise summary of important results from our past work and lay important connections with the different parts. This overview shows the versatility and great potential cellulose nanoparticles have in electrochemical applications while employing straightforward techniques for device assembly and fabrication. Extension of this work towards free-standing functional membranes is also discussed where appropriate. (C) 2012 American Chemical Society