Abstract:Cellulose is one of the most productive natural polymers in nature. It is widely used because of its excellent properties, low cost and renewable cycle. Natural cellulose is composed of crystalline and amorphous regions, and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) can be obtained by special treatment. Hydrogel is a kind of functional polymer material with a three-dimensional cross-linked network structure, which can absorb and lock a lot of water through its hydrophobic groups and hydrophilic residues, but it is not soluble in water itself. The hydrogels synthesized from cellulose nanocrystals and their modified copolymers have drawn much attention of scientists in recent years because of their excellent mechanical properties, biocompatibility, natural degradability and rich sources, etc. In this article, the structure and properties of cellulose and the preparation methods of CNCs were briefly introduced. The methods, performance characterization and potential application of hydrogels synthesized with CNCs and their modified copolymers as raw materials were reviewed.