Cellulose is the most available biomacromolecule in nature with the properties of renewability, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and environmental friendliness. Cellulose and its derivatives are excellent building blocks for fabrication of gels. In this review, the principles for preparing cellulose-based gels are summarized in detail. Considering the native properties of cellulose and its derivatives, chemical and/or physical crosslinking can be introduced during the preparation of cellulose-based gels. The chemical and physical crosslinking approaches are classified alongside the introduction of new concepts in polymer science, such as supramolecular interactions. Cellulose graft copolymers are another kind of building block in the fabrication of cellulose-based gels. The properties of gels can be tailored by the chemical structure of the graft chains. Cellulose-based gels can be applied in many fields depending on their properties.

Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, 2016