Cellulose at Scale: From Past Challenges to Future Opportunities for Sustainable Functional Materials

Abstract

CCellulose-based chemistry was at the origin of modern materials science and has today re-emerged as one of the most dynamic and rapidly evolving research fields. How did a biopolymer that enabled early industrial breakthroughs such as celluloid follow such an uneven scientific trajectory, and is it now re-emerging as a platform for future materials? In this Perspective, we revisit the non-linear evolution of cellulose chemistry to identify the scientific, technological, and conceptual barriers that have long constrained its development, despite its abundance and renewability. We argue that cellulose must play a pivotal role in future materials and chemical industries within a sustainable technological ecosystem, and we outline the chemical, structural, and analytical challenges, and the corresponding design principles needed to fully unlock the potential of this inherently complex polysaccharide.