Advances and challenges of cellulose functional materials in sensors

As the most abundant natural polymer material on the earth, cellulose is a promising sustainable sensing material due to its high mechanical strength, excellent biocompatibility, good degradation, and regeneration ability. Considering the inherent advantages of cellulose and the success of modern sensors, applying cellulose to sensors has always been the subject of considerable investigation, and significant progress has been made in recent decades. Herein, we reviewed the research progress of cellulose functional materials (CFMs) in recent years. According to the different sources of cellulose, the classification and preparation methods for the design and functionalization of cellulose were summarized with the emphasis on the relationship between their structure and properties. Besides, the applications of advanced sensors based on CFMs in recent years were also discussed. Finally, the potential challenges and prospects of the development of sensor based on CFMs were outlined.