Nanocellulose-stabilized Pickering emulsions: Mechanisms, fabrication, and multifunctional applications

Pickering emulsions (PEs), which are emulsions stabilized by solid particles, exhibit excellent stability, making them suitable for preparing functional materials. Solid particles, whether derived from natural or synthetic sources, play a critical role in ensuring the stability and functionality of emulsions. Among the particle stabilizers, nanocellulose has attracted considerable attention owing to its tunable amphiphilicity, excellent mechanical strength, and inherent chemical stability. Consequently, nanocellulose-based PEs are widely investigated for applications in food, energy storage, and photothermal conversion. Nevertheless, several critical issues in this field still require urgent clarification: (i) how the physicochemical properties of nanocellulose govern its interfacial adsorption and network formation in PEs remains to be further elucidated; (ii) their synergistic interactions with other biomass such as proteins, polyphenols, and lignin require deeper exploration; (iii) emerging applications in food science, three-dimensional (3D) printing, templated materials, and functional microcapsules require further exploration. This review, therefore, provides a comprehensive overview of the influencing factors governing nanocellulose stabilization in PEs and their synergistic behavior with other substances. It further explores applications and challenges within fields including food science, biomedicine, additive manufacturing (3D printing), templated porous materials, and functional microcapsules, aiming to provide robust theoretical support for designing advanced cellulose-based PE systems.