Recent Developments on Nanocellulose-Based Energy Systems

The efficient conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into novel bio-based products can contribute to the transition to a more sustainable, low-carbon economy. However, technological advances are still required in order to better consolidate the biorefinery concept, which involves the processing of biomass into food and feed ingredients, bio-based products (chemicals and materials), and bioenergy. Among these bioproducts, nanocellulose stands as a potential material with remarkable properties and applications in different sectors, such as in the development of energy systems. Recently, the application of nanocellulose as substrate or scaffold in thermoelectric devices has been explored given that these cellulose nanomaterials are degradable, renewable, and biocompatible and present low thermal conductivity (~ 0.03 W/(m·K)) and density (~ 0.04 g/cm3). This mini-review summarizes some recent technologies being studied to develop energy systems by exploring the remarkable properties of cellulose nanomaterials. The application of nanocellulose to generate energy in thermoelectric devices is discussed in more details aiming to contribute to broaden the use of lignocellulosic biomass into more advanced systems, thus expanding the portfolio of future biorefineries.