For decades, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have been produced by hydrolyzing the disordered cellulose chains of hierarchical fiber structures. These colloidal particles comprise highly ordered arrays of cellulose chains, impeding the physicochemical modifications of inner crystalline layers, which in turn restrict key colloidal properties, such as dispersion stability, functionalizability and charge, response to external fields, and transportation. Controlled oxidation of fibrils permits the partial disintegration of amorphous cellulose chains while maintaining contact with the crystalline body, yielding Janus-like nanoparticles with a needle-shaped crystalline body sandwiched between two disordered cellulose regions (hairs). We refer to these nanoparticles as hairy cellulose nanocrystalloids (HCNC). The protruding soft biopolymer brushes impart significant modifications to the colloidal properties of cellulose nanocrystals, promoting their functionality, charge, stability, and self-assembly. In this article, we embark on detailing how HCNCs behave more like soft nanoparticles as compared to rigid CNCs, explain their fundamental colloidal aspects, and provide a mechanistic overview on how HCNC may expand the horizon of next generation natural soft materials.

数十年来，纤维素纳米晶体（CNC）是通过水解分层纤维结构的无序纤维素链生产的。这些胶体颗粒包含纤维素链的高度有序的阵列，阻碍了内部晶体层的物理化学修饰，进而限制了关键的胶体性质，例如分散稳定性，功能性和电荷，对外部电场的响应以及运输。纤维的受控氧化允许无定形纤维素链的部分崩解，同时保持与结晶体的接触，产生具有针状结晶体的Janus状纳米颗粒，其夹在两个无序的纤维素区域（头发）之间。我们将这些纳米颗粒称为毛状纤维素纳米晶体（HCNC）。突出的软生物聚合物刷可显着改变纤维素纳米晶体的胶体性质，从而提高其功能性，电荷，稳定性和自组装性。在本文中，我们着手详细介绍HCNC与刚性CNC相比如何表现得更像软质纳米颗粒，解释其基本的胶体方面，并提供有关HCNC如何扩展下一代天然软质材料视野的机制概述。