Banana Peel Waste as a Source of Nanocellulose - Recent Progress, Challenges and Future Prospects

This review highlights the recent progress in nanocellulose (NC) extraction from banana peel waste.Recent studies have successfully extracted nanocellulose in the forms of cellulose nanocrystalline (CNC), cellulose nanofibers (CNF), and bacterial nanocellulose (BNC).Acid hydrolysis using H2SO4 has emerged for extracting CNC, while a combination of chemical and mechanical fibrillation has been most utilized for CNF extraction, and bacterial fermentation for BNC.The critical challenge for the industrial production and commercialization of NC is to produce low-cost material, reduce production costs and energy consumption, and implement environmentally friendly manufacturing processes.Future studies should explore other efficient methods, such as TEMPO-mediated oxidation.Surface modification shows promise in enhancing the hydrophobicity of banana peel NC, potentially unlocking applications in diverse industries.However, to ensure sustainability, it is crucial to consider the three pillars of sustainability.Therefore, future research should include process optimization to improve efficiency and eliminate unnecessary actions in the process.