Exploration of Bamboo-Derived Nanocellulose Paper for Versatile Colorimetric Detection of Bio Compounds

Paper-based analytical devices (PADs) were developed as low-cost tools for detecting chemical and biological compounds, commonly fabricated from cellulose derived from plant biomass. Bamboo, a fast-growing and abundant plant with high cellulose content (40–50%), was investigated as a substrate source. In this study, the selection of bamboo was based on its rapid growth cycle and the abundance of parenchyma cells that facilitated nanofibrillation compared to cellulose fibers from softwood or hardwood. Cellulose fibers were extracted from black bamboo (30 and 60 mesh) using mechanical and acid hydrolysis methods. The mechanical method employed ultrasonication to obtain nanocellulose, while the acid hydrolysis method used strong acids, i.e., H2SO4. The resulting nanocellulose papers exhibited variations in contact angle, porosity, and transmittance that directly affected their permeability and fluid flow behavior. The results indicated that the mechanical method, which extracted nanocellulose from parenchyma cells, yielded more consistent thermophysical and mechanical properties suitable for paper-based biosensors. The fabricated nanocellulose papers were tested as PADs for colorimetric detection of dopamine and hydrogen peroxide. Based on the literature comparison, their sensing performance, including sensitivity, linearity, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantification (LOQ), was comparable to other nanocellulose-based papers, indicating the potential of bamboo-derived nanocellulose as a sustainable substrate for PADs.