Overview of inexpensive production routes of bacterial cellulose and its applications in biomedical engineering

Abstract

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is an innovative polymeric nanofibre, which meets the demands of rapidly advancing industries, such as biomedical engineering, food packaging, pulp and paper and electrical appliance engineering. The versatility of bacterial cellulose is largely due to its unique properties, such as high crystallinity, high thermal stability, high water absorption capacity, hydrophilicity, good mechanical strength, biodegradability, high biocompatibility and high porosity, making it well-suited for applications in various fields. In recent years, advances for enhancing the applicability of BC through modification and its inclusion into composites have been in focus. Unfortunately, despite the multiple advantages it offers, the production cost of BC is too high, thus reducing/limiting its commercial attractiveness and industrial scale production. This paper is an overview of the current research trends for developing cheaper BC production pathways and of recent advances performed so far with the prospect of enhancing its potential application in biomedical engineering.