Cellulose nanocrystals for materials innovations

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have emerged as a highly promising class of sustainable nanomaterials, combining exceptional mechanical strength, high crystallinity, tunable surface chemistry, large specific surface area, optical activity, colloidal stability, and intrinsic liquid-crystalline self-assembly. Derived from abundant and renewable biomass resources, CNCs provide a unique foundation for the development of advanced materials that integrate high performance with environmental sustainability.

Recent advances in CNC synthesis, surface modification, self-assembly, and hybrid material design have expanded their role far beyond that of conventional reinforcing agents. CNCs are now recognized as versatile nanoscale building blocks capable of directing hierarchical organization, tailoring interfacial interactions, and enabling emergent functionalities across a broad range of material systems. These capabilities have led to significant breakthroughs in structural nanocomposites, photonic and optical materials, responsive soft matter, flexible electronics, energy storage and conversion technologies, biomedical platforms, smart coatings, and sustainable packaging.

This Nanoscale Horizons themed collection seeks to highlight pioneering research that leverages the unique physicochemical, interfacial, colloidal, and self-assembly properties of CNCs to create innovative materials with unprecedented structures, properties, and functions. We particularly welcome contributions that bridge fundamental nanoscale science with practical applications and scalable technologies, reveal new structure–property relationships, uncover unexpected phenomena, establish innovative design principles, or demonstrate transformative applications enabled by CNC-based systems.

By bringing together researchers from chemistry, materials science, nanotechnology, physics, engineering, and related disciplines, this collection aims to showcase the growing impact of cellulose nanocrystals as a versatile platform for materials innovation. Through highlighting fundamental discoveries and emerging applications, the collection will provide a forward-looking perspective on how CNC-enabled materials can drive advances in sustainable technologies and inspire the next generation of functional nanomaterials.

We welcome Communications, Reviews and Minireviews that address cutting-edge advances in cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) science and technology, spanning fundamental understanding through to functional and scalable applications. Contributions should align with the broad interdisciplinary scope of Nanoscale Horizons and demonstrate clear conceptual novelty, emerging design principles, or transformative material performance.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• CNC Synthesis, Extraction, Functionalization & Surface Engineering
• Self-Assembly, Hierarchical Organization & Structural Design
• Advanced Nanocomposites & Hybrid Materials
• Functional & Responsive Materials
• Porous Materials: Aerogels, Foams & 3D Architectures
• Energy & Environmental Applications
• Biomedical & Biofunctional Materials
• Sustainable Materials & Circular Design
• Emerging Concepts & Frontier Applications

Submissions to the journal should fit within the scope of Nanoscale Horizons. Please see the journal webpages for more information on the journals’ scopes, standards, article types and author guidelines. 

Please note that primary research is accepted in the form of Communications require a ‘New Concepts statement’ to help ascertain the significance of the research. General guidance and examples can be found here. 

If you would like to contribute to this themed collection, you can submit your article directly via the online submission platform for the journal . Please mention that this submission is a contribution to the 'Cellulose nanocrystals for materials innovation' collection in the “Themed issues” section of the submission form and add a “Note to the Editor” that this is from the Open Call.