General Background and Introduction

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Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) is a singular natural nanomaterial when compared to other naturally occurring or artificially created nanomaterials. Numerous bacteria have the ability to generate BNC, which helps them survive in various ecological environments. Due to its exceptional physico-chemical and biological properties, it is becoming a biomaterial that is significant in many industrial areas. BNC is a strong contender for usage in papermaking because of its intrinsic nanometric size and strength characteristics. For the manufacture of cellulose, Gluconacetobacter xylinus, previously known as Acetobacter xylinus, is the species of bacteria that has been investigated the most. These bacteria are confined behind a gelatinous, skin-like BNC membrane, which keeps them at the surface of the culture medium throughout the production of cellulose. Bacterial-derived cellulose nanofibrils have the benefit of having unique characteristics, plus the ability to modify culture conditions to change the way the nanofibrils develop and crystallize. An overview and background information on bacterial nanocellulose are provided in this chapter.